Agent Dad
by The Potters of the Future
Summary: Sequel to My Daddy the Hero. John Alexander Rider son of the infamous Agent Rider has just begun SAS training at 23. Only thing is he isn't aware of his father's true job he still thinks he's a banker. What happens when Alex turns up at SAS camp.
1. Introducing Tiger

Introducing Tiger

I am John Alexander Rider and I twenty three years old. I had finished my degree two years ago in Russian and chemistry and obtained a 2/1. Dad had said he was very proud of me for achieving this. Not hard considering dad said he had never been to college or Uni. I still have no idea how he managed to get such a high up job in the bank. I presume he started as a teller and worked his way up. But unfortunately dad doesn't talk much about work although I think Nelly my youngest sister knows more but she won't say. Nelly always was dad's baby girl. I am from a larger than the normal 1.5 children family. There are five children of which I am the oldest.

My dad's name is Alexander John Rider known as Alex. Yes, yes that's the opposite of my name. But I am named after my grandfather John Rider and father Alex Rider whilst dad's named after his father. As I said before he works as a banker. Dead boring if you ask me and bloody bankers caused the recession. Not that I'd dream of telling dad that. I'd much be doing something useful like defending the country which I why I'm in the army. I have been since I was twenty-one and finished Uni and I am now in the testing stages of SAS camp.

Now my mother died several years ago in a freak shooting by some gang members near where she was working. I was only just ten years old when dad came home from one of his many business trips battered and bruised as per usual and pulled him, Ian, Jackie and Helen out of school. I had been more than a little embarrassed at this being preteens thinking that parents were out to humiliate me. But at the same time I was ecstatic that dad was home and I got a chance to miss a day of school. Then dad told us the tragic news: mum was dead!

It took our family a while to get over it and only because of dad. Dad I had found was a very strong character. He didn't go on trips for a few months afterwards until our family was back together. The teachers were all very sympathetic towards our plight around this time. And they worried when dad went back on business trips that without any parents it would cause us more pain. But it didn't luckily. I love my family more than anything. Not that I'll ever admit that to anyone out loud especially Ian lord that boy annoys me!

The next two after me are the twins Jackie and Helen. They are twenty one and have just finished university. Helen did business and has become employed by a large business cooperation whilst Jackie had done criminology and was now working for the police as a plain clothes office. The two girls were as different as two could be with Jackie being a complete and utter tomboy, friends with all boys and preferring to spend time with her brothers rather than Helen. Helen, however, was the girl who spent all her money on clothes and annoyed the rest of her siblings.

My only brother is Ian who has dark hair and dark eyes set in a fair face. He is now twenty and in the middle of university doing computing in Edinburgh so I rarely see him especially as it's his last year. I don't know what Ian was doing next year mainly because Ian didn't know what he was doing next year. Ian had always been the secretive one; a trait he took from dad. I do know that he is an all too skilled hacker although much to his annoyance he hasn't been able to hack dad's computer. Well dad did teach Ian everything he knew about hacking.

My youngest sister is Nelly who looks almost exactly like dad except being a girl. I look very like dad too except having mum's blue eyes. Nelly is seventeen and has just started her final year at high school. Nelly is doing five A levels in Politics, Geography, Maths, Chemistry and Spanish. I think she's planning to go and do Politics in Cambridge. Nelly seems to know something about dad. It was when she was eleven and I was seventeen. I was revising for my exams whilst dad took Nelly out for the night.

Nelly came back quite shaken and never told anyone what had happened. But she stuck to dad like glue. When she came out of herself again it seemed she knew something more about dad. She's still very quiet when dad's working away. Dad is only forty-four which is quite young theses days. But can pass for being ten years younger at times except for his eyes which are much older. He is so secretive; it drives me insane sometimes. If he can tell Nelly why can't he tell the rest of us? I know he's keeping something from me even if I haven't worked up the courage to ask him what.

That brings us today. It's quite late at night right now. I've just entered the SAS training camp and I'm supposed to be sleeping. I think the other three are at the moment. The black Sergeant who seems to be slightly foreign from his sergeant ordered us to our cabins telling us we have a gruelling day of training tomorrow. I'm sure he's right and we're all trying to get a bit of shut eye before training begins. But I can't sleep. I'm very nervous about tomorrow. I'm thinking back on the naming process earlier on.

The sergeant was looking at me as though he was trying to figure out why exactly he recognized me but couldn't figure it out. The man finally gave up on it. Then he named me Tiger. Tiger wasn't a bad name so I was dismissed and entered my cabin. I was the first one there and flung down my rucksack. I had been told err ordered not to bring any electronic equipment so it felt as though I was in another world to that of my family. Not that dad would communicate if he was working. I had a feeling that dad didn't like the fact that I had joined the army at twenty-one.

Dad being dad didn't tell me not to join. But I saw the worry in his eyes. Uncle Ben who's not really related to us just a work friend of dad's said it was just because dad didn't want me hurt. He told me without giving away any details that Dad had lead a hard life and still blamed himself for mum's death. He didn't want to loose me too. I thought that when dad had risked his own life then he could talk to me about risking mine. But when I had got into the SAS he had been very proud of me apparently my namesake had been in the paratroopers which were a very good regiment too.

Soon after I had settled into my bunk another man walked in. This man was several years my senior seeming to be in his thirties. I guessed this was one of his last chances to be selected. He had dirty blonde hair and more than a few scars. His bright blue eyes were hard and slightly cold reminding me quite a bit of dad's eyes. His name was Polar Bear and he was our unit leader as I was the sharp shooter. Dad had first taken me shooting at seventeen. Why a banker likes shooting I would never understand.

I had taken a real shine to shooting from the start off. I wasn't anywhere near as good as dad. Dad's ability to shoot still frightened me more than a little. But dad's strange lessons had once again helped me a lot in my career. Almost instantly my commanding office had noticed my ability with a gun in basic training. Soon it had been noticed by the higher ups and I was recommended for SAS selection last year. After the interview I was invited back to see how good I was. I never doubted my ability to shoot which had saved my life from the Taliban time and time again.

Next to come was the unit medic who had been named Dog. Dog was a man who seemed to be a few years older than me maybe in his mid to late twenties. He had served in the army for a few years before being recommended due to his Houdini ability to escape hostile situations with barely a scratch on him. Dog had blonde hair a few shades darker than mine but lighter than Polar Bear's. I was beginning to wonder if all the blondes were going to be put in B unit. He had silver-grey eyes which seemed intelligent.

Dog had taken the bunk under mine and we had been speaking. I didn't know much about medicine. I knew a little about Veterinary medicine that I remembered from when I was a child and mum would take me to work with her when I was out of town. But Dog knew a lot about Chemistry which I had done my degree in so we saw discussing that for a while. I was very conscious that Polar Bear hadn't said anything apart from introducing himself. But was watching us almost suspiciously as we spoke about chemistry and university.

Then we were interrupted from out conversation by our fourth and final member of B unit. I knew this would be our communications expert. I looked up to see a man with dark curly hair and trusting blue eyes. The man seemed to be between my age and Dog's. He told us that his code name was Bat. Polar Bear introduced us in turn whilst Dog and I said hi. Polar Bear went back to observing us quietly whilst Bat seemed to be filing all the information about me, Dog, Polar Bear and out cabin together.

'So what are your skills?' asked Bat.

'Sharpshooter,' I replied.

'Medic,' Dog said.

'So Polar Bear you're the leader then,' commented Bat.

Polar just grunted a reply.

'Where did you learn to shoot anyway?' asked Bat.

'Dad taught me,' I admitted. 'Strange for a banker,' I murmured to myself.

'Your dad's a banker who taught you how to shoot?' asked Dog incredulously.

'Yeah,' I shrugged, 'he's odd very security conscious.'

That was when I had noticed Polar Bear looking at me suspiciously as though he knew something. I didn't know what he knew or why he was looking at me in understanding at what it had said about my father. But it didn't matter anyway because soon we had at Polar Bear's insistence turned in. It seemed Polar Bear had been here before because he said that the training was gruelling. I supposed it was his last chance to be in the SAS and he had failed before. The SAS was an incredibly hard and elite task forced to get into.

I'd just have to hope for the best and hope I'd make it. I really wanted to do this. Do my country proud. At five in the morning the four of us stumbled out of our bunks and into our SAS gear. I fumbled with the laces as Polar Bear waited impatiently for his young unit to get our act together tutting like a mother goose. Finally we were all done. There were nine units present for this years SAS selection. I wondered how many would get through in the end.

There was our unit which was B. I studied them as dad had trained me to. To study everyone in case there were threats in the environment. Even though this had been taught to me by a banker it had kept me alive often enough so I did. Dad said he had needed to do it so that he could watch for thieves so he could sound the panic alert if he needed to. I had wondered about that considering dad was not working on the tills. Maybe he had started that way and worked his way up and kept up the habit.

To our right was A unit. There was a man who seemed to be in his late twenties who was obviously the leader. He was tall and muscular, tanned with lots of blonde hair. By his side was another blonde man but unlike his leader it was long and straggly. He seemed to be at least ten years older and had at some point in his military career been tortured. I shuddered at the idea of ever being tortured. I would go through it for queen and country but I didn't want it to happen. Right at the leader's side was a tall, raven haired man about my age who seemed already loyal to his leader. The final member of the team was a brunette young man with very pale skin.

Then to our left there was C unit. The Unit leader there was a black man called Lynx who seemed to recognize Polar Bear not that they had time for a catch up or anything. There was a grey haired man with mistrusting eyes. Then there was a pale, black haired man with almost innocent blue eyes. Then there was a younger man who by his olive skin and curly dark hair seemed to be of Italian descent with dangerous grey eyes and an ever present snarl on his face. I had a feeling that this man would be a really bad man to cross off or on duty.

Behind C unit there was D unit. There was a man who seemed a few years younger than me with sharp blue eyes and blonde hair much like my own. He stood tall with toned muscles and seemed to demand respect. But for some reason (perhaps his age) was not the leader. That fell to a brunette man in his late thirties or so he looked who had eyes only too knowledgeable. Beside him was another brunette in his unit who was around the same age. A man a few years but rather close in age who had a skin head was also there.

Next there was F unit who were in the cabin opposite to our hut. The leader much to my surprise actually seemed to be a year or two younger than me. He had night black hair and a very pale face with stormy grey blue eyes staring out at the wet, cold environment. One of the members of his unit was glowering at him out of hazel eyes. The man must be around his leader's age. Was he jealous of the raven haired man's position? The glaring man had dark skin and scruffy black hair. There was an older man who was completely blond. The final member of the unit was around the bald man's age but with long black hair skin as pale his leader's.

Next to them was I Unit who I had met briefly in the showers last night. There was the leader a muscular brunette man in his mid twenties with a load of freckles. His code was Boar. Then there was a man his mid thirties with long black and slightly greasy skin and black eyes. He was the non talkative sharpshooter who went by the name of Pidgeon for some reason. The team medic was a slightly okay very eccentric brunette man who went by the name of Dragon. The communications expert was a tall man who seemed almost as eccentric as Dragon with lots of curly dark hair called Spider.

Next up was M unit. Their leader was an incredibly tall red head with blue eyes and a sneer upon his face looking tired and grumpy due to the early start probably. There was a dark haired, freckled man about the same age as I am. He seemed happy to be here. I thought he seemed to be a decent fellow and had plenty of muscles. A tall, muscular blonde man who seemed to the youngest there maybe nineteen or twenty was part of that team. That left the final member of M unit as a man roughly the same age as I am with lots of black hair and very pale skin.

Then there was N unit which contained two of the three red heads. One who seemed to be around the thirty year mark and had been injured some time previously with a knife wound running down his left cheek. Yet the man still managed to look handsome. The other red head seemed to be a few years older with a burn covering most of his face and neck. Their leader was a man with dark hair and lots of muscles looking very angry. That left a man who appeared to be nearing forty with dark hair and a slightly wild look about him.

Finally R Unit was also present though they had been here for a few weeks before the rest. They consisted of a dangerous looking young man around my age who had curly brown hair and looked like he had never seen the sun. Curly's leader was a man in his mid twenties with lots of raven hair with a blazing look on his pale face that was slightly flushed with cold. Then there was an intelligent looking brunette who looked calm who seemed to be about my age give or take a year. The oldest member of unit was a pale blonde with hazel eyes.

According to the sergeant some of us had taken to long to get here. We were supposed to be here five minutes ago. So the sergeant sent the units that were late for a two kilometre run. That unfortunately thanks to Bat mainly included us. The leader of A unit was shooting annoyed looks at his loyal comrade when they were forced to run with us. As well as C unit with the three members shooting annoyed looks at the pale raven haired man who I presumed was the reason that they were late. M unit who had arrived even later than us were made to run.

**Can you guess who the sergeant is in this?**


	2. Obstacles for a Tiger

Obstacles for a Tiger

After the nightmare run that morning we were then finally allowed to eat. But it was only after doing about a hundred press-ups each first. I swore I would never be late again even if I had to dress Bat myself. It was only Polar Bear who didn't seem fussed with the strenuous exercise. I was looking forward after all that work to a full English breakfast. But no such luck. Instead we got some sort of slush that could only be classed as muck. Gruel that was right. Couldn't they have got any nicer meals for us?

'Do they expect us to eat this much?' demanded Bat.

'It's high in protein,' growled Polar Bear glowering at the communications expert.

'High in protein my a-'began Bat.

Just then the sergeant entered, 'do you want to finish that sentence?' asked the sergeant.

Bat paled suddenly, 'no sir.'

'And the rest of you?' demanded the sergeant with a growl.

'No sir,' they all responded.

I thought we sounded much like school kids rather than army officers. But I didn't really want to piss off the sergeant so I quickly shut up. After that there was silence until the sergeant left again. Polar Bear remained silent throughout breakfast whilst Dog, Bat and I spoke quietly. I found out that Dog had decided to go into the army after his wife and unborn child had been killed in a terrorist attack. Dog had decided that he wanted to save others from the pain he had gone through. Bat was different who had joined the army to get away from his controlling family more than anything.

I suspected from his accent which was more upper class than mine that he was from a rich family. I didn't know his deal with his family. He didn't say and I didn't feel that I knew him enough to ask. I suspected that Dog felt the same way. We fell into an awkward silence after that unsure what to say. Polar Bear didn't say anything about himself. I could see he was an able leader and knew the how things ran around here. But it was obvious he didn't trust us. Or at least he didn't feel like confiding in us.

I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make him act like this. I had feeling that something awful to do with those battle scars had happened. Or maybe he had been like this beforehand. I didn't know and he scared me too much to ask. But I chewed on what his deal was. Mum had always said that I'd inherited my dad's inability to leave any mystery alone. But as far as I was aware dad wasn't one who went looking for mysteries. But mum had always said odd things like that which still didn't make any sense.

And now I was old enough to wonder about it she was dead so I couldn't ask her. Dad didn't mind us talking about mum or asking about her. But we tried not to. He always got such a sad, pain filled look on his face whenever mum was brought up. I guessed it was because dad had never stopped loving her. He had certainly never dated after mum's death despite Uncle Tom and Uncle Ben saying that it would be good for him to move on. I privately thought that for dad nobody would ever be able to take mum's place.

After breakfast we headed to the obstacle course like no other obstacle course. By the time we had finished I was flushed, sweating and filthy. I had read about it of course. But no preparation could prepare me for the monster which was the course. We had to complete it in our units this time. It had begun with climbing over a monstrous wooden construction looking very much like a ladder. Luckily we were all pretty tall so we could pull ourselves up using the ledges as support. Unfortunately they were too thin to be able to stay on for any length of time.

My unit all managed it in decent timing. However, F unit's bald member and member with long, raven hair had managed to trip each other up somehow and were still in a heap on the floor. The sergeant was yelling at them for their incompetency threatening to bin them whilst my team were over the other side. This filled me with confidence. I unit's leader seemed to be close to falling as well but managed to just make it to the other side. M unit's leader was the first one down with his unfair height advantage.

Well at least I thought it was unfair. But he had to wait a short time for his youngest, blonde unit mate. When we were down just after M unit putting our unit in second position we were onto the next obstacle. This time we had to clamber up another ladder which was about twelve feet off the ground. Then we had to use the monkey bars to manoeuvre our way across. I'd liked the monkey bars as a child on the playground. But these were a nightmare. The only consolation was if we did fall down then at least it would be a soft landing; in a nice puddle of mud, maybe not so nice then.

Well it was SAS training not Boy Scout camp like the sergeant had told us several times. You'd have thought once was enough? But no every time someone mucked up he told us. And people mucked up all over the place here thanks to their sweaty hands. Our unit seemed to be one of the only units that all managed to make it across to the other side. Not one of us fell. In A unit both the tall raven haired man and older torture victim fell into the muck much to their leader's frustration. The leader only stopped yelling at them when the Sergeant turned around and joined in with the yelling.

C unit then caught up with us over the course of the so called monkey bars. And they were certainly making monkeys of enough of us soldiers. None of C unit fell into the mud. In D unit it was only the brunette who was not the leader much to his leader's hilarity. I could see D unit's leader was trying his best not to laugh. That caused D unit to fall behind quite a bit. Again for F unit the bald man and the long haired man fell in. I didn't think those two from F unit would last very long given what had happened for the first two obstacles.

Not leading is team spectacularly and being threatened with having his leadership revoke Bear of I unit fell in three quarters of the way through. So it was the non leaders of I unit that improved their time. M unit was the third team to all complete the monkey bars without getting covered in muck meaning that they were still ahead of us. Then N unit came the next completing the bars successfully just behind us causing us to have to speed up. R unit fell slightly behind when the curly man fell sloshing his pale face with mud.

Still in second place behind M unit we went onto clambering over a too tall fence which meant we had to rely on team work. It turned out that Bat was actually a good instructor and we managed it without too much problem as did A and D unit. However, C and F unit just didn't seem to want to cooperate with their team members. I, M, N and R units did fairly well and got over okay after an initial reluctance to work with one another. By the end of the team work task M had fallen behind us so we were now in the lead. A fact that I was very proud of but unable to dwell on that as the next task was coming. This time we had to manoeuvre ourselves across wire about six foot in the air where there were more left behind.

Not us we still managed not to fall over. I thought I had managed to be put with a good unit. Unfortunately so did C who were hot on our heals. We were still leading the way at the end of the latest obstacle. Then we had to crawl under the nets with our machine guns in hand. I was a lot quicker than my team mates. Polar Bear was actually quite slow whilst Bat and Dog were around average completing it at the same time. Due to C unit's quick pace through the nets they ended up beating us.

I was disappointed being competitive as I was and knowing I would have beaten them had I not been waiting for the rest of my team. So we were once again in second position. By the end of this we were rather muddy we then had err "fun" crawling through lots of welsh mud. How this helped our training I could not say. We then slid along a rope over a river **(1). **I got horrible rope burn as we went. And we were pushed into third position much to my dislike when it seemed that Bat got stuck half way across.

Next there was a rope bridge that had to be carefully judged if we weren't to make it fall over. C unit fell in and had to swim out and start all over again. The sergeant was not impressed with them at all. N unit had to pull up the bridge so that they could go across. We planned it out carefully so that we could move across glad that we were back into second place. Maybe next time we would move back up to first. They then clambered across the wooden climbing frame for giants. And they were back in front just ahead of N unit.

We then ran through about twenty rows of tires as quick as we could. I prided myself on being pretty quick but unfortunately had to wait for the others at the end. But luckily we just scraped first. I thought it was my imagination but I thought I saw the sergeant smile at me. But it was replaced by its familiar scowl when the other three joined us. We didn't have long to wait for the next team. N Unit followed. Then there was M who despite having lead the way at the start had only came third. Then I followed them. Then D and then F who had done far better than I had expected as they had done so poorly at the beginning. Then R, then A and finally C who had been doing so well until the rope bridge incident. We were then dismissed for lunch.

More slush, yummy!

**I don't know how I did the obstacle course. Hope it was real enough for SAS. Please review and tell me what I think. **

**One of the few things I liked about the pathetic movie of brilliant books.**

**Does anyone want to beta this?**


	3. Fighting Like Cub

Fighting Like Cub

After we had finished our lunch in virtual silence still tired from the long obstacle course that we had underwent we were split into two groups. A Unit, B Unit, I Unit, M Unit and N Unit went for hand to hand combat training with the Sergeant whilst C Unit, D Unit, F Unit, and R Unit were going to the shooting range. The four units were ordered to get into pairs so that the sergeant could see what they were capable of. I paired up with Bat whilst Dog paired up with Polar Bear. I found out that Bat was a lot better at combat fighting than I had previously through.

But I had to learn that the hard way.

I was balancing on the balls of my feet with my hands balled up into fists in a protective stance. I was waiting for Bat to make the first move. I had always been recommended to let the other person make the first move. That way I would be able to judge their skills. Bat seemed to be doing the same as I was. We were circling one another waiting for who would be the first one to lose their patience and lash out. It turned out it was me. I'd never been a particularly patient person no matter how many times dad had tried to install patience into me.

I used the jab punch which was also known as the kizami zuki. This was just a distraction tactic after which I would then use a palm heel strike probably to the stomach. The head would be more effective but as I didn't want to cause permanent injury to my comrade then no. Maybe the groin I thought with a grimace. What? I couldn't help it. I'm a man I have absolutely no wish to be kicked in the groin. No man did or boy either.

I lashed out moving quickly through the air my right hand (I was left handed) aiming to strike Bat in the stomach. But he was no longer there. I had underestimated him and that would be my downfall. Bat was quick on his feet and was suddenly behind me. I knew he was about to attack so I used the back kick or the ushi geri a technique in karate used when you are about to be attacked from behind. I had my feet slightly apart waiting for the right moment looking out of the corner of my eye for any movement from Bat.

Then I span around on the heel of my right foot lashing out with my stronger left foot. This time I managed simply by doing an unexpected move when Bat thought he had me to sink my foot into Bat's gut. Bat groaned and reached out to grab me. I responded by lashing my hand into his side. I knew I was good. But I forgot my dad's primary lesson; over confidence kills. Bat aimed an elbow in the face but I bent backwards. Unfortunately I ended up on the floor in my efforts to dodge. Bat attempted to pin me down but I kneed him in the nose.

Okay I knew that was a legal move in karate. But dad had always told us that in a real life situation nobody is going to care whether or not your moves are legal or not. When someone is trying to kill you it's best to give them as good as they give you. So I didn't bother with that for very long as Bat sported a bloody nose and was obviously having trouble seeing through the blood. I then jumped up from the floor and aimed a round out kick at my team mate. Bat went down with a bang. I had won. By this time the rest of the cabin had gathered around us the only two left fighting.

The sergeant seemed to be actually quite impressed with the two of us even if he was trying not to show it. But I had grown up with Alex Rider so knew how to read almost expressionless faces. Why did dad have to try and pretend to be an emotionless unfeeling man when I'd seen how he treated us and the after math of mum's death. I tried not to think too much on mum's death. It was unfair and tragic because some nutter who had got hold of a gun went trigger happy. Why did it have to be her? I'd read the news reports – rather obsessively I had to admit – and she was the only one to die.

Why here? Why did it have to be my mother? But I knew if it wasn't my mum it would have been someone else. Someone else's mother, father, brother, sister, lover, child who would have been killed. A selfish part of me wished it had been. But I squashed it down. This was why I had joined the army in the first place, to protect innocent civilians like my mother! Before I could become even more depressed with the way my thoughts were heading I turned to the sergeant who seemed to be holding back a smile.

I couldn't believe it. And it seemed nobody else could either by the looks of things. And here we had thought that the sergeant only had two emotions; grumpy and grumpier. Apparently I was wrong about that. But then again I should have listened to dad. It had been my first time of leave after joining the army. I was still twenty one. Dad, the clumsy oaf as he always seemed to be, at work. I wondered why that was since he had never so much as broke a tea cup at home. Well he had managed to sprain his wrist, again!

_We were all sitting around the kitchen table with Nelly looking oddly between me and dad. She had been fifteen at the time. But she seemed to notice the fact that while I had calloused hands from my handling of weapons and a few burn marks from explosions on my arms and dad had sprained his wrist doing too much writing! __**(1) **__How he had managed to do that I didn't know. Nelly had made a comment about me and dad being so alike. I had told her that getting badly burned in Afghanistan wasn't the same as spraining your wrist from writing too much._

'_I don't know how you do it, dad,' I had said. 'You get hurt so much but you're just a boring old banker.'_

'_Never judge a book by its cover,' said dad smiling his "I know something you don't smile"._

Nelly had looked like she understood. I was a little jealous of my baby sister's relationship with dad but didn't say anything. But here again was one of those times when dad's advice had proven true. It always was though. As a small child I wondered if dad knew everything about everything. But I stopped thinking that when mum had died. If dad knew everything then he would have been able to save mum. But he didn't so he couldn't. I knew that all children eventually found out their parents couldn't solve everything and that was the day I had realised that.

'Tiger I haven't seen someone fight like that since Cub,' growled the sergeant.

Cub? I wondered who Cub was. By the name I could tell it was a soldier. But he obviously hadn't made the greatest first impression on the sergeant as he had been nicknamed Cub. But by the respectful and familiar way that the sergeant had said Cub's name I could tell that the sergeant saw this Cub person as a worthy comrade. I hate mysteries and here was Cub, another mystery. I'd ask the others when we finished hand to hand combat. Surely they would know after all Polar Bear had been here before.

But Polar Bear didn't like speaking so probably even if Polar Bear _did _know who the mysterious Cub was didn't mean that he would tell them. Here was yet another mystery, Polar Bear. I had no idea about Polar Bear's life history or personality or skills. Other than the fact he was the silent and broody type. The kind of guy girls would call strong and handsome. And also there was the fact that he had been picked to be leader of our unit. I wished that the sergeant – was it the sergeant how picked leaders? – had chosen someone with a bit more people skills.

I looked around to see if the others knew who the sarge was talking about. There was recognition in Polar Bear's eyes. So he did know this Cub fellow. I'd have to try and prize the information out of him. I had a feeling it would be like getting blood from a stone or secrets from dad. As a child I would try and guess what dad had got me but he would never so much as drop a hint. Pigeon of I unit also seemed to know what the sergeant was talking about. But the rest of us were at loss to what our sergeant was talking about.

'Now change partners,' ordered the sergeant.

I ended up with Dog this time. I was personally quite glad as much as I wanted to talk to Polar Bear he didn't half intimidate me. Maybe it was because he just didn't talk to anyone. He just sat there glowering at people. I looked at the other blonde with large grey eyes. Dog had the advantage of already seeing me fight. He must know my style. But then I remembered how he had told me that he was good at escaping confrontation. So I decided this time to go on defensive even if I hated waiting for someone else to make the first move.

But it would be worse if I went second and kept missing until I tired myself out and was defeated. Dog and I started pacing both in defensive stances. I was getting more and more impatient. But luckily I was as impatient as I was stubborn. Stubbornness won out over my impatience for the battle to start. Finally after about five minutes of circling each other Dog made his move. Dog struck out with the heel of his palm obviously going for my nose as I had done with Bat. I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence (even if dad said there was no such thing) or whether he was using my own moves against me.

Surely he wouldn't use my move to tackle me. But whichever it was I had to block it before the older blonde broke my nose. It was more than a possibility after all. At last possible moment I pulled my left arm up covered my face with my palm just where Dog's hand was coming. It was too late for Dog to move his hand from his attack. This, of course, was exactly what I had planned. I grabbed hold of his forearm. Then I aimed a knee at the other blonde's groin. I heard the man groan at this and I pushed him down to the ground keeping him there with my booted foot.

'Good Tiger,' growled the sergeant. 'See that's how you do it you maggots.'

'Yes, sergeant,' the rest of them said.

Finally I was placed with Polar Bear. I had no idea how this was going to pan out. I always planned things out, it made me feel in control. But I had no chance to do it this time because before I had even had a chance to get into a defensive position the older man had employed a front kick to my chest. I found myself once again on the floor of the shack. Polar Bear was going to finish off what he had begun with pinning me down with his two feet. But I managed to roll away and get up again. But once more I was kicked to the ground.

This went on for a while before I realised that he was allowing me to get up every time. Just to kick me to the ground once again. I decided to change my routine. I got kicked to the ground. But as Polar Bear waited for me to get up again I managed to grab onto his legs. He fell over with me. Okay I hadn't won this but neither had I lost. I hated loosing! I'd have preferred to win but drawing was no worry for me. The sergeant saw the two of us lying tangled up on the ground and looked at us furiously.

'Polar Bear, Tiger, what do you think you are doing?' the sergeant demanded.

'Sarge-'I began.

'Did I ask for your input?' demanded the sergeant.

'No sergeant,' I replied.

'Then why are you interrupting me?' demanded the sergeant.

I hadn't thought I was interrupting him considering he had asked me a question and I had replied. But I realised that it wasn't the best time to tell an angry SAS sergeant that. The sergeant must have been using a rhetorical question. And I had interrupted his train of thought I thought with a groan. I was in for it now. And the way Polar Bear was looking at me he obviously thought he was too. Well we were a team. I just hoped that I didn't end up binned for disrespecting my sergeant. I waited with bated breath for the sergeant's judgement.

'First of all you two were rolling around the floor like a couple of high school kids even Cub wouldn't do that!' the sergeant yelled.

My ears pricked up. There was that name again. But in the same sentence as "a couple of high school kids" I frowned at this. Was this Cub person young then? But there were young soldiers in their training camp like the brunette in R who looked to be only just turning twenty. And why did he say it like it was a surprise that this Cub had done better than them? I was getting more and more intrigued than ever. And I knew that if it was the last thing I ever did I would find out who this Cub was although now probably wasn't the best time.

'The whole of B Unit are on kitchen duty tonight. Dismissed,' ordered the sergeant.

It wasn't until we were out of the hut did my unit all groan. I could see Bat still with his nose all bloody from where I had kneed him in the nose and Dog glaring at us. I realised that they blamed us for landing us on mess duty. Not that I blamed them at all. The four of us were walking in silence each of nursing our own injuries from the hand to hand combat. And it had all started out so good. I had even almost made the sergeant smile and feat that I had previously thought impossible. But it had ended up with us on mess duty.

'Why did you answer back?' demanded Polar Bear roughly.

'I thought he was asking for an explanation,' I said.

'Fool,' growled Polar Bear.

**Someone had told me this a month ago when we had a thirty page essay, ten page essay, two presentations all in for the same week for my course at university. And I just had to use it because my friend generally was wearing a bandage. I haven't figured out how she hurt her wrist doing too much writing as she said. But ah well weird people you meet at Uni.**

**Hope you like the fight scenes. I tried to make each one of them different showing John and their fighting styles. And now I've introduced to legend of Cub to John. Next he's going to attempt to get Polar Bear to talk to him about Cub.**


	4. Who's Cub?

4. Who's Cub?

Once again at the mess our unit ate the slop in silence. But this time it wasn't out of tiredness but out of anger towards each other. I knew that they didn't want to do the mess duty. But I didn't see the problem. Dad had always given us chores around the house from when we started Oakfields at the age of eleven so washing and sweeping up didn't overly bother me. I knew dad could have afforded a cleaner but for some reason dad didn't like unknown people entering the house. I remember when I brought an unannounced friend home when I was ten.

I thought that dad was going to murder him. For some reason Matt never did revisit the house. Matt had always been a nervous boy. I had thought from the way dad was looking at him he was going to wet himself. Dad calmed down when he realised it was my friend. From that moment on I never invited someone without clearing it with dad (or whoever was looking after us at the time first). Mum had just passed I away I thought sadly so I had presumed that it was dad had been grieving in his own way.

But no matter what I had told myself then and now it seemed like dad had something to hide. But I convinced myself that I was wrong. That it was just dad being quirky as Helen liked to call it. But deep down some primal gut instinct told me I was wrong. But what could a banker have to hide? I didn't know and to be perfectly honest I didn't want to know. I wanted my dad to be like everyone else's parents even if at every parents evening I could see quite clearly how different dad was. It was the way he held himself and his eyes I had thought as a child.

While I was deliberating dad the other three members of B unit continued to glare at me. It was just cleaning. But from the way that they were acting it was as though they had been sentenced to torture. We were training to be in the SAS and not delinquent kids who couldn't face punishment. I just rolled my eyes and continued to eat the excuse for food. Then we were done and the other eight units had returned to their barracks. The last to leave was M Unit's red headed leader. But finally he too was gone.

'Dog and I will do the dishes. Bat, Tiger sweep the floor and clean the tables,' ordered Polar Bear gruffly. 'There are brushes and things in the cupboard over there,' Polar Bear pointed.

I just shook my head. I knew he was leader and all but did he have to order us about even when doing clean up duties. But none of us complained about it. Dog and Polar Bear left for the kitchen carrying the forty five metal dishes between them. I then looked around at the Mess Hall. Well mess was certainly right. How could it get so messy? It looked like we had just had a food fight. I sighed this was going to be a long night. Now I understood why no one wanted to be on clean up. I decided to start with the floor and pulled out two brushes.

One of which I handed to Bat. Bat took it in his hand tenderly. The fearful way in which he looked at it made me want to laugh at my team mate. But I didn't no matter how funny it was. It honestly looked like the soldier thought that the brush was going to come alive and eat him. I decided to ignore him and begun at the side closest to the kitchen. It was easy work but after five minutes and Bat still hadn't move I decided to confront him. I turned around to see Bat still observing the brush as though it was going to beat him.

'Come on Bat if we work together we'll be done in half the time and get to the showers,' I said.

'What do I do with it?' Bat asked.

I gawped at him. I knew it was rude but I couldn't help it. Okay I had been to a private school but I wasn't posh. Or at least I didn't think I was. But this was a whole new level that I had never experience before. I knew dad's form of parenting was rather unusual in many ways but we had learned how to look after ourselves. But Bat here obviously hadn't. For crying out loud he didn't even know how to sweep the floor. Had he never done so in the regular army? No wonder he looked so angry when we had ended up on clean up duty.

'You don't know how to sweep the floors?' I asked incredulously.

'No mother and father have servants,' replied Bat a little pompously.

'Did you never have to do the Mess Hall in the regular army?' I asked.

'The others did it for me,' replied Bat.

'Okay,' I sighed. 'You hold onto the brush and sweep not hard. You sweep it all into a big pile. And then sweep into a dustpan. Then tip it into the bin. Easy.'

'Alright,' Bat looked unconvinced.

I sighed and went back to work. But this time I was joined by Bat. After we had finished sweeping the floor I turned to Bat who actually seemed to have done not to bad all things considered. Bat was wearing a proud grin akin to getting knighted. I didn't say anything at this knowing that he had never done any cleaning before. But the tables were still a mess. I went back to cupboard and soaked some cloths in soapy water. I handed one to Bat. This time I didn't just leave him there guessing he would have no idea what to do.

'Do you know how to wipe down tables?' I asked trying not to sound annoyed.

'Not really, no,' muttered Bat.

I sighed once again, 'again it's easy. You just scrub the tables careful to catch any crumbs in the cloth and place it in the bin.'

That man was impossible. He seemed to know a lot about some things like technology but seemed to be failing miserably at simple things like cleaning. How he was going to survive our barracks being inspected I did not know. But leaving thoughts of Bat aside I scrubbed down the tables. After I was done I checked Bat's tables which were done fine. At this moment Polar Bear and Dog exited the kitchen having finished their jobs. Then the sergeant entered. He checked the two rooms and then turned back to us.

'B unit dismissed,' he ordered.

'Yes sergeant,' the four soldiers said.

We then headed out of the barracks in silence. I was thinking about how I would possibly confront Polar Bear about the mysterious Cub so didn't say anything. Dog and Bat were speaking about musical choices. It seemed they both liked Carbon Leaf and had both been to see him at Wembley. That left Polar Bear at the front and I trailing behind the other two. I was exhausted! If this was the first day of training I had no idea how I would last the fourteen weeks of training. We were heading to the showers.

Once at the showers we realised that everyone else had finished and was back in the barracks. So we had the showers to ourselves. They were cold. Nobody had seen fit to include hot water in the base. I felt the mud coating my body being washed from by body. I realised that I wasn't the only one who had scars. I only had a few old burns on my arms practically nothing compared to Polar Bear who seemed to be nothing but scars; burns and knife wounds. I wondered if that was why he was so gruff and unapproachable.

'What happened to you?' demanded the medic.

'F*** off,' growled Polar Bear.

'I'm your medic,' retorted Dog.

'You're not trained,' snarled Polar Bear.

'I've got a degree in medicine and I've been on the field for a few years,' Dog sounded outraged.

'Not SAS,' growled Polar Bear.

'That's not the point,' retorted the medic. 'What if something happened?'

'We're not on the field yet,' snapped Polar Bear.

'What about here?' demanded Dog.

'The infirmary has my medical files,' snapped Polar Bear.

Polar then grabbed a towel drying himself quickly and pulling on his white vest top and combats stormed off. The three unit members in their twenties stared after him before exchanging looks. I could see that Dog was seething. That was when I noticed a bullet wound on his right calf. It seemed that Bat was the only one who had not managed to get himself injured at some point in the course of their service. There was no more talking and soon they were back in the barracks. I was just in my boxers and white shirt as that seemed to be the best thing to sleep in.

Dog and Bat weren't yet in the bed where they were playing cards. Polar Bear was reading the SAS manual but seemed to be fuming at them. I was in the bed under the covers. I had to say I missed my bed at home. It was had a hard mattress and scratchy, bug infested bed clothes. But I knew better than to complain to my superior. I decided while Dog and Bat were busy to attempt to make conversation with Polar Bear. I knew that getting anything out of Polar Bear considering his mood and disposition was going to be difficult if not impossible.

'He was just trying to help,' I said quietly. 'He's been hurt too.'

'Newbie,' snorted Polar Bear.

'He's got a gunshot wound in his leg,' I said.

Polar Bear didn't say anything but I knew he had heard me. I supposed he couldn't think of anything to say to that. The old proverb was "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything" had somehow been turned around in Polar Bear's mind. So now it read if you can say something nice, don't say anything. And he obviously had no way to make it sound bad about Dog. I wondered again what had happened to make Polar Bear like this. Where had he got all those scars? What had he seen?

'Who's Cub?' I asked.

'What's it to do with you?' demanded Polar Bear.

'Nothing,' I frowned, 'just seems familiar that's all.'

Polar Bear seemed to be scrutinising him before he finally said, 'nobody knows.'

'But you know something?' I asked hopefully.

'No facts,' growled Polar Bear.

'What do you know?' I asked.

'Rumours,' growled Polar Bear.

'Which are?' I prompted.

'Why are you so interested?' demanded Polar Bear.

'The sergeant said I fought like him. I wanted to know if it was a good thing or not,' I admitted.

Polar Bear gave a harsh life, 'good?' demanded Polar Bear. 'It's more than good. It's a bloody amazing thing to be told.'

'Really?' I asked.

'Cub is the stuff of legends,' growled Polar Bear.

'How come?' I asked when Polar Bear didn't elaborate.

'They say he was really young when he first came,' Polar Bear said simply not expanding.

'How young?' I prompted

'Like sixteen or something,' Polar Bear growled. 'Mind you it was about thirty years ago.'

'And people still talk about him?' I asked.

'The sergeant trained with him,' growled Polar Bear.

'He must have been good to have earned the sergeant's approval,' I commented.

'I've heard he's better than the sergeant,' growled Polar Bear.

'Better?' I squeaked.

Polar Bear just grunted.

'Where is he now?' I asked.

'Spy,' grunted Polar Bear.

'Good?' I asked.

'Best,' grunted Polar Bear.

'Wow,' I breathed. 'Have you ever met him?' I asked.

'Last time I was here…' then he trailed off.

He obviously did not want to admit to being here before. I presumed it was because he had failed last time. I let the matter slide not wanting to alienate my Unit Leader. I looked at Dog and Bat. Dog seemed to be unaware of our conversation but I could tell that Bat was listening to everything. I glanced at Polar Bear who was looking at Bat and Dog. It seemed he too had realised that Bat had heard what he had said. I could see that Polar Bear wasn't happy about this. But I still tried to get more out of him.

'What was he like?' I asked.

Polar didn't answer. It was obvious that the conversation was over. I sighed. I would have to listen and see if anyone else knew anything about this Cub person. He must be good. Better than the sergeant. And the sergeant had said I fought like him. This made me very happy. I could feel a smile tugging at my lips as I lay down and fell to sleep with dreams on teenaged spies. I couldn't help but wonder what that would be like. But I decided I'd prefer to have a childhood first before devoting my life to war.


	5. Bats Don't Like Water

Bat'sDon't like Water

We once again were up before dawn at five hundred hours. But this time we dragged Bat out of the bed. Well Dog and I did whilst Polar Bear growled at him to get up. It was obvious that whatever truce we had last night while talking about Cub was now over. All because he had slipped up and let me know that he had failed first time around. It didn't bother me. I mean we all fail at something right like I still have yet to pass my driving test. But I didn't bring it up and he didn't mention it. We turned up at the clearing with Bat still bleary eyed but on time.

I looked around and it seemed that all the late units from A, C and M. It seemed that they too had learned their lesson and arrived on time. I hoped that we wouldn't be forced to go on another run and it seemed as though my wishes were rewarded. Then I realised it was because we were being forced to go on a three miles swim in the frozen lake in the Brecon Beacons. Oh the joys of training with the SAS never ends I thought sarcastically. We quickly stripped down to just shirts and underwear.

Polar Bear was the first of our unit to dive in. I not wanting to be shown up followed him in. Dog looking less than happy about what he was expected to do followed us in. We had left Bat on the side. I had a feeling that the obviously posh soldier would be less than willing to leap in after us. After all, he probably had a private swimming pool that was kept heated all year round if the rest of his life was anything to go by. Polar Bear I could tell was getting exasperated. Not that I blamed him we had already been on kitchen duty once whilst I may not mind it didn't mean I wanted another punishment on my record.

'Hurry it up,' the sergeant growled at those left on the side of the lake including Bat. 'Adder, Bat, Lizard, Saber, Hound, Mole, Rat get in.'

Bat didn't seem to be moving. I showing once more the terrible impatience that dad had said affectionately I'd inherited from my mum. Well I knew I hadn't inherited from dad. Honestly that man could wait for paint to dry. So I swam back to the edge and literally pulled the brunette into the freezing Welsh water with us. Bat's curls were drenched flopping over his face. I thought he looked quite comical. He looked like he'd been left out in the rain and was shivering all over glaring out at me through dark brown eyes.

'Get going,' growled Polar Bear somehow able to talk through the cold.

'S-s-s-soon assss we s-s-start the s-s-s-sooner it'sss o – o –over,' I stuttered. 'A-a-and we c-c-c-can g-g-g-get w-w-w-warm.'

I began to swim not bothering to see if Bat was following behind me. I focused on putting one arm in front of the over. Just keep going I told myself. Just a little further I promised myself. I reminded myself that as soon as this was over we were going to get breakfast. I knew it would only be gruel but still it was better than nothing. I was so cold even the exercise wasn't warming me up particularly. I kept going and going pushing through the mind numbing cold and the ache in my limbs.

'Good work men,' came the sergeant's voice.

I turned my head slightly so I could see where the sergeant was. He was still in full SAS gear dry on land. Or as dry as you ever can be in the Brecon Beacons were there seem to be only two types of whether; wet and wetter. But it was drier – however slightly – on land than in this freezing lake. Why he thought this would be a good morning activity was beyond me. I supposed it was some sort of stamina exercise or something. But to hell if I was ever forced to swim in a frozen lake at five in the morning or any other time for that matter again.

'Out,' ordered the sergeant.

There was a sudden rush of tired, half naked men swimming for the shore line relief etched on every one of our faces. I hadn't even known that Bat could swim that fast. But they did say that you could run faster out of greed than fear. Well it seemed in this case it was right. We pulled ourselves up onto the land where we turned to see what our sergeant's next instructions were for us. I desperately wanted to put on some form of clothing. I was freezing but didn't want to get into trouble for disrespect – again!

'Get showered a changed. Report back here in ten minutes,' ordered the sergeant.

'We've just swam in the lake why do we need another shower,' complained Bat.

'To get the muck from the lake off,' Dog replied.

'Why couldn't we do it in a nice warm, clean swimming pool,' complained Bat.

'Its stamina building,' growled Polar Bear. 'You won't get swimming pools on the field. You'll have to wade through swamps and all sorts.'

Bat still seemed mutinous about this whole exercise. Not that I blamed him. I didn't think I'd ever feel properly dry again. Or warm either. But Bat wisely in front of a cold, wet, tired, and testier than usual Polar Bear kept his silence. But I was glad at least someone could control Bat. I wondered if that was why they'd been put in together. Polar Bear to control Bat. We arrived at the shower block. There certainly wasn't enough room for thirty-six soldiers to shower all at once. Luckily I was a fast swimmer and walker even in SAS standards.

So I had managed to claim one of the first showers. Polar Bear just growled at some of the younger recruits to get into a shower. That was one way I supposed. I felt a bit sorry for Bat and Dog who had to wait. Bat seemed particularly unhappy about this. I supposed that Bat hadn't had to go one day of his life without something he needed. I did wonder why he said he didn't like his family when they so obviously spoilt him. But I supposed that I loved my family and I most certainly not spoilt. I wasn't neglected either it just was.

I finished in my shower feeling a lot cleaner without the lake mud and grime coating me. And then I grabbed my towel drying myself down completely with it even my blonde locks. I felt much better after that. Still covered in goose bumps but at least semi warm unlike beforehand when I felt almost hypothermic. I then pulled on a new white vest and underwear leaving the other set out to dry. I then pulled back on my army clothes. I felt much better now. I then waited for the others to join me so I could go back and get something to eat.

Polar Bear was only a few seconds after I had finished getting changed where I was resting on my bed. Polar Bear went through the same routine as I did except taking longer with his more abundant blonde hair. The two of us were quiet as we waited for Bat and Dog to hurry up. I wondered if they had managed to get into the showers yet. There was an awkward silence. I deliberated attempting to talk to Polar Bear again. It hadn't gone too badly last night until the moment of Polar Bear's revelation.

'Were they in the showers when you left?' I asked.

'Dog,' grunted Polar Bear.

'Not Bat?' I asked.

'What do you think?' growled Polar Bear.

'He's okay if a bit dependent on his family riches,' I said.

'He won't last two seconds on the field,' growled Polar Bear.

'He did okay after I pulled him in,' I said.

'But what about when there is no one to pull him in,' growled Polar Bear.

'He'll have team mates,' I said.

'Do you want service men to die to make up for his incompetence?' demanded Polar Bear harshly.

'No,' I stuttered.

'There's Bat and then there's you who protects Bat even though you're probably the best in the unit,' growled Polar Bear.

'You think so,' I beamed. 'Hey was that a compliment?' I asked.

'No,' growled Polar Bear.

'I think it was,' I grinned.

'You think wrong,' growled Polar Bear.

At that moment the door opened to reveal Dog. He looked at us strangely I supposed it was because I seemed to be the only one Polar Bear was willing to talk to. That was only after the combat training. The combat training which I had well not beat him but not been beaten by him. I guessed that was it. Polar Bear would only speak to those who he felt was worth his time. He had just said it "you're probably the best in the unit". I had to say I was honoured to have won such I standing with Polar Bear.

'Where's Bat?' I asked.

'Still showering,' answered Dog.

'Bloody girl,' growled Polar Bear.

'You don't want my sister to here you saying that,' I chuckled. 'She'd probably hack beat you up.'

At that moment Bat came in finally. He looked at Dog who was still only in a towel; Polar Bear who as per usual was glaring with particular intensity at Bat. I got the impression that Polar Bear didn't like Bat and that was without what he had said before. I wondered had he lost someone because of someone else's ineptitude. Then he looked at me where I was still lying on the bed. He had obviously heard my last comment about Jackie which was completely true. Jackie had beat half the boys in school up.

'Your sister a bit of a tough one?' asked Dog.

'A bit?' I snorted. 'I think she's probably beaten up most of the boys at our school,' I laughed. 'She's working for the police now.'

'So she can beat up the crooks?' asked an amused Bat.

'It's not the fifties,' Dog rolled his eyes. 'The police can't beat the criminals up anymore.'

'Details,' Bat rolled his eyes.

'Hurry up,' growled Polar Bear.

Bat and Dog obviously intimidated by Polar Bear quickly shut up. I didn't have anything to worry about already fully dressed before Polar Bear had even entered. There was another silence but I was getting used to that with our unit. Polar Bear didn't seem to like talking to Bat and Dog unless he had to and didn't like talking in front of them at all. He would answer my questions but that was about it. Bat, Dog and I got on reasonably well when Bat wasn't being pompous. Dog and I both knew a lot about chemistry.

Soon Dog and Bat were ready and we headed down to the mess hall. We arrived there just on time. I wondered what would happen if we hadn't. But my question was soon answered by F Unit coming one second to late. They were made to do five hundred press ups without any lunch. I didn't envy that unit I could tell them. The rest of the camp hurried inside before the sergeant could revoke our dinner rights as well. We took our usual seat at the far end after we had been served up our gruel. Did I tell you I really hated that stuff?

Yeah I did. But I do. I ate it of course after all as disgusting as it may be it was better than going hungry – slightly. And I had to say that going hungry with the physical demands put on us was not something that I wanted to do. I felt sorry for F unit. How were they going to last until lunch without a morsel of food? This had just been our morning exercises and it had been tiring enough. I ate thinking about the day. Had it only been a day at training? It seemed like so much longer to me. I supposed it was because it was so damn tiring.

'After yesterday why did F unit come late again?' I asked.

'They're idiots,' snorted Polar Bear derisively. 'They are so going to get binned.'

I supposed that Polar Bear must know something about what would cause you to be binned considering he himself had been binned. I decided I wouldn't question him about that even though I desperately wanted to. I was just too damn nosey for my own good. With dad's stubbornness and need to know everything and mum's impatience I didn't know how I had any friends left. Though I supposed my bravery counted for something. Mum had said I'd inherited it from dad. She hadn't said it like it was a good thing though.

She had said it with that sad, scared look she always wore when dad was away at work. He had been away at that point and had come back with a broken arm. He had said he fell down the stairs but I heard mum and dad have one of their rare arguments that night. That was only a few months before mum did. I was glad when we were called to our next part of the day if only to get away from the sad thoughts surrounding mum's murder. I hated it and I hated it more that the murderer had never been caught.


	6. Tiger Can Shoot

6. Tiger Can Shoot

I was quite excited at the next part of our training. This of course was due to the fact that it was shooting. And I was a brilliant sharpshooter. Everyone had said so. I didn't mention that my father was better at shooting than me. I had a feeling that there would be questions about how a banker could shoot better than a soldier. I had questioned that as well when I began my regular army training. I had once asked dad about that after my training but before my service time had begun. Dad had given me a look obviously thinking about whether or not to tell me the truth.

'_It's useful to know with some of the kinds of people I deal with at work,' dad had finally said._

'_Oh you mean robbers?' I asked._

'_Something like that,' dad had muttered._

'_I wouldn't think they'd let a banker get hold of a gun,' I had said._

'_No,' agreed Dad._

'_Is it so you can get the guns off the robbers?' I had asked._

'_Amongst other things,' muttered Dad._

Then fifteen year old Nelly had rushed into the kitchen her blonde head bobbing up and down. Nelly had just been cheated on by her boyfriend and was pretty upset. I was pretty sure that Dad had been ready to get even with the seventeen year old. I had always thought that Gavin Drake had been too old for her. But she had argued his case. Had I not been in the army where it was illegal to beat up civilians even if they had broke my littlest sister's heart. As it was Ian and Jackie rounded on him and beat him up.

I just wished I could have been there. I had heard that the certain place that Drake had got at Cambridge for Mathematics had been revoked somehow. When Nelly had told us gleefully about this dad had just smirked. Dad had said it was karma for breaking Nelly's heart. But I had to note that he didn't seem too surprised at that fact. But he couldn't have already known, could he? But then again Dad never acted surprised at anything. It was like he knew everything about everything already.

But back to the present; C unit, D Unit, F Unit and R Unit had left with Wolf towards the hand to hand combat training arena that we had done yesterday afternoon. A Unit, B Unit, I Unit, M Unit and N Unit had this time gone to the shooting arena. As I have already said I was very excited about getting a chance to show off my skills that I had learned from a banker. We were getting a lesson from one of the sergeant's old comrades who looked to be about his age give or take a few years who had been in his unit.

The man was tall, muscular with dancing bright blue eyes that were shining with constant mirth. And vivid orange hair that shone out in the dreary Welsh rain over the kaki soldiers. We had been told that the man's codename that we were to call him was Eagle. But we knew that he was far more senior than we were so we had to call him Sir if we addressed him. I wondered if he would be as harsh as the sergeant. I mean they had trained together. But then again so were Bat and Polar Bear. And it wasn't like the sergeant's personality reflected Eagle's personality.

'Newbies,' Eagle's eyes twinkled evilly. 'Okay there are a set of guns here. I want you to choose one and dismantle it and assemble it again,' the SAS ordered. 'If you fail to do one of the tasks you'll have two hundred press ups. If you fail to do both you'll have five hundred press ups,' warned Eagle.

Okay he's definitely from the same pod that the sergeant came from. Were all the oldies like that I wondered. I approached the table as Polar Bear snatched up a G3 assault rifle. I was okay with them but I had preferred smaller ones. This was mainly because my first teacher had smaller weapons as his favourites. He had taught me, Ian, Jackie (and was teaching Nelly) to use all sorts of weapons. He had given Helen the chance to learn. But Helen being Helen had refused. She hated doing anything mildly violent.

Oh she respected me for fighting for my country but she would never do anything like that herself. I had heard Dad saying that she was like mum in that respect. I could see her point just because Dad didn't do anything actively violent I like the rest of my family knew that dad was a master of several martial arts including Judo, kick boxing and karate. And he had taught those who wanted to learn how to use a gun soon as we turned seventeen and could legally use a gun. I looked for a smaller firearm to use.

I took out the MP5K that had become my favourite weapon. I knew that Dad favoured Smith and Wesson which could be easily concealed on one's person. The MP5 was a compact machine gun and according to dad was the kind of weapon used during hostage situations. Dad had quite happily told me that when I was seventeen as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. I as an innocent seventeen year old had just looked at Dad as he said this. All dad's talk of hostages going straight over my head.

I was at that point an innocent teenager. The only thoughts I had of warfare and hostages had come from books, movies, TV and games. Just like all teenagers everywhere. Well at least in the West. I had wanted to become a soldier then but more out of a sense of justice. I had originally at the outset of Dad teaching me how to shoot been more than a little bit apprehensive. I might not have understood hostages until years later when I was in the army but I understood guns. Guns had taken mum away from me I didn't want to use them!

Dad had broached the almost random conversation from my perspective at least. I couldn't begin to tell you what goes on in my father's head. Mum might have been able to tell you but she was long dead. I had been doing maths homework when Dad had entered the room as usual without knocking. He knocked on the girls doors in case they were changing but not Ian and I's. He then entered the room and seemed a little apprehensive about something or other. Then he suddenly asked.

'_John,' Dad said. 'How would you like to go to the shooting range?' he asked._

'_With the others?' I asked._

_Dad had shook his head, 'you have to be seventeen.'_

'_Why would I need to shoot?' I had asked._

'_In case you have to protect yourself,' Dad had answered promptly._

'_From what?' I had asked. 'Who would want to kill me?'_

_I then saw Dad flinch at my words. This surprised me giving that Dad was always so cool, calm and collected. Then I remembered mum. Mum, who had been shot in the middle of London where she should have been safe and protected. Mum whose death had left Dad broken hearted. And we all knew that Dad blamed himself for her death. That made no sense to any of us. Not that we talked about it with Dad around. But I suspected he knew we spoke about him and mum when he wasn't. I cursed myself for my careless words._

'_Sorry,' I said._

'_No it's fine,' Dad had smiled weakly but it didn't reach his hard brown eyes so unlike mine._

'_Dad why do you want me to shoot when it's what killed mum?' I had asked._

'_So if you ever end up in the same situation you won't … won't die,' Dad's voice cracked._

I had still felt apprehensive about the upcoming shooting lessons that my whole family knew about. A lot of my friends had been envious. Not Jake who was also getting lessons from his parents. Honestly those three bankers were odd. Jake's mum Tamara was a pretty American that I had a crush on when I was a teenager who had worked at an American branch. Ben and Tamara had met at some sort of bankers' conference in New York. I thought all bankers must have a thing about guns because the Daniels' couple were teaching my year mate how to shoot at the same time.

But everyone else had wanted to get lessons off one of our parents. I had tried explaining to them that guns weren't toys which had been exactly what Ben and Tamara and Alex were trying to hammer into Jake at this time. They didn't need to do so to us Riders who had lost our mum to guns. I knew that dad had said he'd teach them if their parents approved. Of course, they didn't. Only our insane parents had wanted to teach us to shoot. I knew that many of the other parents disapproved looking down on Dad.

There had been talks with the teachers. But as we were seventeen then they couldn't do anything. I had known that social services were called but nothing came of that. Several of the parents had stopped their children coming to our house at this point. I didn't see anything wrong with this. It wasn't like Dad kept weapons at home or anything. Dad had once said that if we were a hunting family –which we weren't (mum and Helen would have killed us if we were) then nobody would have a problem.

'_They're just small minded who cannot see beyond their own way of thinking,' Dad had said angrily after an intense interview with our Headmistress._

We all knew that it was best to agree with Dad when he said something like this. I loved my father but he was scary when he was angry. He never hit us or anything. It was like a few of the older recruits that I had seen in my time in the main army. There was something hard bitten and cold in their eyes. Something that we all knew it would be a really bad idea to get onto the wrong side of with. But the rumours and talk died down after a few weeks something which I was immensely grateful for.

I easily dismantled the MP5 in about sixty seconds. This was something else that Dad had decided was a useful lesson. I still had no idea why. I mean I could just about understand guns as protection. But how to dismantle and assemble a gun I didn't know. I chalked it down to Dad having found out about my ambitions to join the army. But I had wondered then where a banker had learnt how to dismantle and assemble a gun in the first place. The way Dad used the gun it was like he had been doing this his whole life.

Dad could assemble a gun in less than thirty seconds and dismantle a gun in less than ten seconds. This scared me a lot. Actually now that I came to think of it my father could be a really scary guy when he wanted to. But I preferred to ignore it. I pretended it wasn't there hoping it would go away. Quite simply I couldn't face the fact that Dad was a very intimidating man who knew how to kill. He had even got me to do it with human shaped targets. This had come useful in training where I had found out that Dad's method was similar to methods assassins use.

This had scared me a lot. Where had Dad learned to shoot like an assassin? A very scary thought that try as I might I couldn't banish came up again and again and again. Was my Dad an assassin? It would certainly explain a lot. The way Dad would leave for sometimes months and come back looking like he'd been beaten. The way Dad and Ben would talk and then shut up as soon as I or anyone else entered the room. Because if Dad was an assassin and Ben worked with him that would mean Uncle Ben was an assassin too.

And Aunt Tamara too! The worst thing was I could see it. It would explain the wariness in Dad, Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara's eyes. Then there was their terrifying ability to shoot even if the Daniels weren't anywhere as good as Dad. The way they could shield their emotions from everyone even their own children. Surely most bankers didn't tone themselves for hours each morning. Then there were the complex security systems we grew up with. Jake and I had spoken about this quietly but we hadn't come to any conclusions about our parents. Jake was also in the army but had yet to be asked to be tested for the SAS.

When I had found out that I was leaving my best friend behind I had felt a mix of emotions. One I felt sad. Jake and I had always been together. To leave him saddened me a lot. I also felt guilty that I had the opportunity where he didn't. Still maybe one day he'd get in. And I had to admit that I was only human. I felt very proud that I was better than my friend. Not that I'd admitted this out loud to him nor anybody else. I looked around. A few others had finished by this time but it was a while before everyone had finished.

'Five minutes, Bear?' he demanded. 'You're supposed to be Britain's most elite. I hope you can lead better than you can assemble weapons.'

'Yes sir, sorry sir,' Bear said.

We were then lead out to the shooting range with the weapons we had chosen. I set up my weapon and looked at the target. I let myself get into that place where it was not me and then the gun. We were one body, one single entity. Dad had said it was easier to learn if you were young as I was. I had asked how old he was. Dad had just smiled at me and said old enough. Again there was Dad being mysterious. I fired knowing that I would be hitting the Bulls-Eye almost every single time. Dad never missed it once when he was teaching me.

'_How come you hit it every time?' I had asked._

'_Practice and mind training,' Dad had told me._

I didn't know what to say to that. Dad always had a way of making people shut up. Where had Dad got his practice from? Did he regularly come to shoot? Why did he need to shoot? Was he really an assassin? All these questions formed in my head but I didn't listen. I focused on the shooting until I was out of bullets. Once we had all finished Eagle walked up to the targets to check how well we had done. He offered tips to all those he had taught. Maybe he wasn't exactly like the sergeant then. But I supposed he didn't have to keep charge.

'Lion,' he began with A Unit Leader, 'mostly bulls eyes but need to get some a bit closer to the middle.'

'Yes, sir,' Lion replied saluting.

Eagle continued this way until he got to my unit, 'ah Polar Bear good to see you again,' I saw Polar Bear redden a bit. 'You've improved. Have you been practicing?'

'Yes, sir,' Polar Bear said gruffly.

'Only three out of the centre circle,' Eagle praised. 'Dog, aim a bit lower.'

'Yes sir,' Dog said happily.

'Bat, not bad make sure they're more constant; you're either on the bulls eye or not on the target.'

'Yes sir,' Bat said.

'Tiger,' Eagle's eyes widened. 'You've got all but one on the bulls eyes. Excellent,' praised Eagle. 'Cub's the only one who could get all of them on the bulls eye. And Cub's well he's Cub. How did you do that?' he had asked.

'Instinctive firing, sir,' I replied.

Eagle looked surprised, 'where did you learn that?' he asked. 'I've only heard of Assassins teaching that and a few spies.'

I felt worry gnaw at my stomach at the sharpshooters words. "Only" Assassins learnt instinctive firing. All my suspicions seemed to be confirmed. I knew I should tell someone. Turn Dad in but I couldn't. Whatever they said family was important. Eagle was looking at me suspicious I could tell that he thought _I_was an assassin! I wanted to clear him of that notion but I didn't want him to know what I now suspected to be the terrible truth. My father, my all but Aunt and Uncle were assassins. I had no proof of course but it would make a lot of sense.

'Met someone on the field who taught it to me,' I lied.

Eagle nodded then moved onto Bear.


	7. A Swan's Uncle

7. A Swan's Uncle

We headed back to the hut to get our gruel that was lunch. We arrived before those at Combat training. This didn't surprise me considering it was the sergeant who was taking them. I got my all so tasty gruel from the sour faced cook. I sat down at out table and began eating. I saw Eagle eating not looking unhappy with the food. Or at least he looked used to it. I supposed that after thirty years of eating the foul tasting stuff you got used to it. I didn't think I'd ever get used to eating much but oh well.

'Where did you learn to shoot?' asked Bat.

'Nobody I know shoots like that,' growls Polar Bear.

'I told you a higher up taught me,' I said.

'I thought you said your Dad taught you,' Bat remembered.

'Well yeah uh he took me took me hunting when I was a kid,' I lied. 'But not like that.'

'And you say Bat's posh,' Dog rolled his eyes.

'Hey,' both Bat and I said at the same time.

'So back to the Fighting Hall,' Dog grimaced.

'Yep,' I wasn't frightened of it.

'Let's try not to be put onto mess duty again,' added Bat.

'You better not,' growled Polar Bear looking at me.

'Hey it was your fault as much as mine,' I retorted.

'You interrupted the sergeant,' growled Polar Bear.

'Accidentally,' I said.

'No more accidents,' growled Polar Bear.

'Fine,' I said exasperatedly.

I realised that the whole of the Mess Hall had stopped eating their "scrumptious" gruel to watch Polar Bear and I have a short argument. Just when I had thought we were getting on better and we had to argue I thought with a sigh. I looked at Dog and Bat who looked like they were going to start laughing. They probably would have if Polar Bear's icy eyes hadn't been glowering at them. That look didn't scare me at all. Dad had a far worse glare than that. Now Dad's glare really was scary. It was worse than even the sergeant's glare which was probably why I wasn't scared of it that much.

'Well let's go,' said Dog obviously hoping to avoid an argument.

The four of us nodded having finished our gruel. We walked in silence again. Polar Bear's constant silence seemed to be infectious as we were spending more and more time in quietness. Or maybe we were all just tired from our training. We were the first at the Fighting Hall. It was a few more minutes before even the Sergeant turned up. Then the other Units trailed in after him. They had obviously followed him from the Mess Hall. I doubted that they wanted to be late. We all knew that the Sergeant could be as creative as Dad with punishments.

'Hand to Hand Combat Training,' growled the Sergeant. 'This time I want you to fight with people outside your own Unit. People you probably don't know as well.'

'Yes, Sergeant,' we all agreed.

I understood the principle behind the theory. If we constantly fought with people we knew. People that would go easier on us and people whose styles we understood when we got to doing field work we wouldn't know how to work out how to combat unknown styles. I supposed it was slightly easier here considering that we had, even out of the corner of our eyes, seen what they fought like. But I supposed it was the best way to do this. Our Unit parted company with each other. I ended up fighting with the raven haired guy from A Unit.

'Hey I'm Swan,' the soldier smiled a grin stretching across his face.

'Yeah I'm-'I began.

'Tiger,' Swan said.

'How do you know?' I asked.

'You're the sergeant's favourite,' Swan shrugged. 'And best shooter in camp.'

'The sergeant has favourites?' I raised my eyebrows.

'He constantly compares you to Cub,' Swan replied.

'How do you know so much?' I asked.

'Oh his wife's my mum's sister,' shrugged Swan. 'I looked up to him as a child.'

'He doesn't show you any preference,' I commented.

'Well that would be favouritism,' shrugged Swan.

'Tiger, Swan quit you're yapping,' ordered the sergeant, 'a hundred press ups.'

'Definitely no favouritism,' groaned Swan.

The two of us the dropped to the ground and began doing press ups. They weren't too bad. But it didn't mean I had to enjoy them. I would have much preferred doing hand to hand combat like everyone else. I just hoped that I didn't get my Unit on kitchen duty again. I had a feeling that Polar Bear would murder me. I was thinking on what the sergeant's nephew had just told me. According to him I was the sergeant's favourite. Well he certainly had a way of showing who his favourites were. I already knew I was the best shooter.

This was a little fact that made me very proud of my achievements. I knew that Dad didn't like people's attention even though being Dad he often got it. He liked to mingle with the crowd becoming completely anonymous. Not like me who enjoyed being the centre of the crowd. I was the one who was winning all the competitions. I had been accused several times by many of teachers of being a show off and a class comedian which I was of course. I had been one of the most popular guys in the school.

When Uncle Tom had been told this by Dad he had laughed. And told me how very unlike my father I was. I assumed that Dad hadn't been popular at school. Maybe that was why he maybe became an assassin. I still didn't want to believe that. But maybe it was true. Maybe Dad really was an assassin. Dad had just laughed and told us he'd had more important things to do at school than be popular. Uncle Tom had nodded almost sadly. And the conversation was shut. But I wondered what these more important things he had done whilst still at school were.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Dad had never bothered to go to University I would have thought it was his grades. I had asked him what grades he had got in the first place. He told me he quit school before even getting his GCSEs. I had asked him why. He just said he already had a job he didn't want to go back. I wondered had he been bullied at school and run away. But that didn't sound much like my Dad. Then there was what jobs you could get without even GCSEs? I later asked Uncle Tom why Dad had left school at sixteen without even his GCSEs.

'_Uncle Tom,' I had asked._

'_Yes John,' Uncle Tom had said, 'ah I know that face. What do you want?' he demanded._

'_Why did Dad leave before GCSEs?' I had asked._

'_Oh no, I can't tell you that,' Uncle Tom shook his head. 'Ask your Dad.'_

'_He won't tell me,' I had admitted._

'_Then I won't either,' Uncle Tom said._

'_If you don't I'll tell your Aunt Beth about Addie,' I said._

_Tom paled considerable, 'fine. He left because he was never in school.'_

'_Why?' I had asked._

But then Dad had come in and looked between us. Uncle Tom made sure that he was never alone in the same room as me again. I knew that Dad knew what he had been talking about. But he never mentioned it to me. And I never mentioned it to him. But the question was what had he been involved in before he had turned sixteen? I had no answer. Maybe it had started out as low level crime like drugs – I knew some kids that were into drugs when I was in school – and built into assassination.

If Dad even was an assassin in the first place. I finished the hundredth press ups at the same time as Swan did. We were already tired and sweaty but we knew we were to fight until either one of us lost or the sergeant told us to change opponents. Given that we were behind everyone else it was likely to be the latter. I started as always by balancing on the balls of my feet. I noticed that Swan's stance was very solid. It meant that he was harder to knock over but it also meant it was hard for him to respond to an attack.

So I decided to initiate an attack. I moved quickly not giving him a chance to change his stance into a defence. I gave a heavy palm heal strike directly to Swan's stomach causing the man to double over spluttering. He glared at me out of blue eyes from the floor before struggling back onto his feet. I was back on the balls of my feet and was forced to block as Swan repeated my move but to my face. But I was glad he had come close enough to me for me to knee him in the crotch. Again Swan doubled over wheezing and was about to get up again.

'Okay switch partners,' ordered the sergeant once again.

We all did as we were told. This time I ended up with Pigeon who glowered at me out of eyes that were darker than my Dad's. I had to admit he scared me a little. But I decided to pretend that he didn't scare me. I noticed that the man was already on the balls of his feet ready for the fight. I decided to second the motion not wanting to be caught on unaware. I was just ready when Pigeon attacked with an almost graceful elbow to my stomach. He was quick I realised in that moment and strong too.

I judged him; his experience (he seemed to be a decade ahead of me), his agility, his strength and the intelligence in his eyes. I knew that this man was a much better fighter than me. But he knew it too. And as Dad always said arrogance kills. He thought he was so much better than me. That thinking would lead to mistakes. I just managed to stay on my feet. But Pigeon was already going for a second attack to my solar plexus. I dodged this one. I hoped to tire him out by dodging each of his hits. I managed this for about ten minutes when suddenly he disappeared for a split second.

I looked around wildly for him. Where had that man gone? My plans were scuppered but I kept myself on red alert. Then suddenly I felt a blow to the back of my head. And a heavy blow at that. I felt my head swimming. And felt my feet go all wobbly. Why were they doing that? My thoughts were becoming disjointed. My vision was blurry. I could just make out a mop of black hair that was Pigeon before blackness descended. My last thought before I collapsed was maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

I blinked back into the dim February sunlight that filtered in through the cabin walls. I could see a black shape in front of me. I blinked a few more times before I remembered what had happened. I looked beyond the sergeant – oh that was the shape – to where my Unit stood. Bat was looking aloof and interested in my well being. Dog looked worried at me. I knew he would start quizzing me as soon as the sergeant had finished with me. Polar Bear was shooting icy glares at Pigeon. Pigeon was standing with a visible smirk on his face.

'So much for the sergeant's favourite,' sneered Pigeon in a very audible whisper.

The Sergeant turned to look at the dark haired man with a very angry look on his face. I saw Pigeon's sneer falter at the look that the sergeant was sure to be giving him. This wasn't something I had expected to happen. I half expected the sergeant to be giving me a lecture on letting my guard down enough to be knocked out. It was clear that I had heavily underestimated the sergeant in this respect. He was not angry at me but angry at Pigeon. This was a relief. Maybe I wouldn't end up on Mess duty again.

'Pigeon don't injure your comrades,' the sergeant said, 'leave that for your enemies to do.'

I saw Pigeon go very red whether in shame or anger I didn't know. I could see that he was bursting to say something. He actually opened his mouth. But at one look from the sergeant he closed it again. It seemed that the sergeant was angry at him. He then turned to Dog who visibly gulped. But the sergeant seemed to be calmer now. Or at least not looking murderous which I felt was as kind as the sergeant's face ever looked. I wondered if he was the same at home with Swan. I'd have to ask him about that later.

'Dog, take Tiger to the infirmary,' instructed the sergeant.

'Yes sergeant,' Pigeon said at once.


	8. Sergeant Wolfie

8. Sergeant Wolfie

Dog helped me up and attempted to get me to lean on him. I of course refused. I wasn't happy about going to the infirmary. I hated hospitals with a vengeance. Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara had always laughed at this telling me how like my Dad I was. Uncle Ben had said that they had to practically tie Alex to the bed to get him to stay in the hospital. I had inherited the hatred for all things medical. I suspected there was a reason that none of us Riders had been nurses even with Helen Beckett's blood in us.

Helen Beckett was my paternal grandmother who had died when Dad had been a baby. We had a picture of her and my namesake's wedding in the living room on the mantelpiece. She was fair haired and dark eyed like Dad compared to her husband with dark hair and lighter eyes. We couldn't see the exact colorings as they were in black and white. Dad had told us that our grandmother was a nurse whilst our grandfather was in the paratroopers. I had wanted to be like him when I had seen his Military Cross.

Dad had been very proud of that and proud to be his son. I hadn't told him that when I was thirteen and looked up his details I found that he had been dishonorably discharged for getting drunk and murdering a civilian. By that time mum had already been murdered which was the main reason I wanted to join the army even if the original reason when I was eight was out of respect for my deceased namesake. I still knew that my grandfather had been a brave man despite what he had done.

We reached the infirmary. The residing doctor an Asian looking man in a white coat had ordered me into the bed. I had tried to resist. But I couldn't so was forced to spend the rest of the evening in the bed. However, there were two things that cheered me up. The first was the fact that I got to eat something other than gruel! I would have to thank Pigeon for the fact that he had allowed me to eat salmon and potatoes. They were very tasty. It would be disappointing to going back to eating gruel tomorrow.

It was brought in by the second thing that cheered me up; the resident nurse. The nurse was a fair haired blonde girl who looked like she had only just graduated with bright blue eyes. She was almost half the size of me and really thin. But I almost drooled at her. She laughed at my look and asked if I liked the look of the food. I could only nod thinking that she had a beautiful laugh. Her name was Elena Greene. I had watched her leave with a regretful feeling. I had never had much in the way of a steady girlfriend.

I liked girls but I didn't do relationships. I was very different to Dad in that respect. He had met a girl three years older than himself when he was seventeen. Then he had dated her for about six months before getting married to her. I had been born when he was only twenty-one and the twins when he was twenty three. To think had I been my father I would already be married with three children; a toddler child and two winning babies. But people had said that Dad had always been very mature as a young man and older teenager.

Later that evening the Doctor reluctantly let me out. I was very pleased to be getting out even if I would have liked to spend some more time with the enticing Elena. But a soldier can't have everything. I was heading past the sergeant's office when I heard the sound of talking come from inside the hut. I knew I should walk past after all it was none of my business. But I couldn't help it. I was just too inquisitive for my damn good. It had got me into trouble enough times with Dad when I attempted to eavesdrop on him.

But Dad always caught me. I honestly had no idea how that man's instincts were so good nor why he always seemed not want me to listen into his phone calls or talks with Ben and Tamara. And I knew that Ben and Tamara were the same. What were they involved in? I thought slightly that they were Assassins. But surely assassins wouldn't speak about killing people where we could listen. I remembered that when I was twenty-one and had come back I spoke to Nelly who I was convinced knew something about Dad.

"_Nelly," I had caught my fifteen year old sister's attention._

"_Oh, hi John. What's up?" Nelly had asked._

"_You know how dad teaches us to shoot when we turn seventeen,'I had said hesitantly._

"_Yeah,'"Nelly agreed sounding tense._

"_Did you know the technique is the same as assassins use?" I had asked._

_Nelly had blinked at me, "What?" she had asked looking genuinely shocked._

"_What do you know about Dad?" I had then asked._

"_Nothing," Nelly had lied almost as convincingly as Dad._

"_Um, Nelly, do you think Dad is an assassin?" I had asked nervously._

_At this Nelly had burst out laughing, "Dad?" she asked hysterically. "Trust me John, Dad is no Assassin!"_

I didn't know why had believed my fifteen year old sister but I did. It had relieved me and Jake quite some bit. But sometimes odd things would come back and make me wonder whether Dad was an assassin and had convinced Nelly he wasn't. I knew dad had found out about our conversation. Dad had even confronted it about me a few days later. He had entered my room with his eyes shining with a strange mirth that I had never seen in Dad's eyes before. I had been getting ready for a night on the town and thought that he was going to tell me to be careful.

"_John," Dad had said._

"_Look if it's about going out tonight-" I had begun._

_Dad waved me away, "I was twenty-one once."_

"_You were married with an infant child then," I had said._

"_Well, I drank when I was younger," smiled Dad. "Just as long as you're careful; don't go into dark alleys with strange men-"_

"_Dad, I'm a soldier, and you taught me how to fight," I groaned. "I think I'm stronger than any mugger."_

"_Well, I could always tell you to remember to-" Dad began._

"_Dad," I had blushed._

_Dad laughed then his eyes turned serious. Dad had this scary thing that he did where he turned off his emotions. He could go from having tears of mirth in his eyes to wearing such a blank expression it was as though he were wearing a plastic mask. I had to say that look still scared me today and I had been to Afghanistan. It was a look that he shared with Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara. It was that that furthered my suspicions that my father was an assassin. And I really did not want to believe that to be true._

"_Nelly told me of your suspicions," Dad said._

"_Um, yeah," I said nervously._

"_I can only assure you that I am no such thing," Dad had said._

Then Dad had stormed out of the room. I stared after him. I hadn't enjoyed myself as much as I thought I would have when out on the town that night. I shook off thoughts about Dad as I snuck closer to the voices in the sergeant's cabin. I could now recognize the two voices as the sergeant's (naturally) and Eagle's. I wanted to know what they were talking about. Were they as hard as they were with us in private? Plus I wanted to see if they said anything about me or the legendary Cub I had heard so much about.

Eagle was speaking, "So what do you think of the new recruits?" asked Eagle.

"There are some very good ones," admitted the sergeant. "There are some good fighters like Lion, Polar Bear and Pigeon if he remembers who the enemy is," chuckled the sergeant.

The sergeant seemed to be a lot friendlier when he wasn't dealing with new recruits. Or maybe that was just his friends with. At least he wasn't shouting and growling at everyone. That was certainly more than you could say about Polar Bear. I wondered how my fellow trainees would deal with a chuckling sergeant. They'd probably faint although Swan the sergeant's nephew wouldn't have seen anything new. There was a silence and then the sergeant spoke again obviously answering an unasked question from Eagle.

"Oh, he knocked out Tiger," admitted the sergeant sounding almost disappointed.

"Tiger?" asked Eagle.

"Yeah, why?" the sergeant sounded suspicious.

"He must be better at shooting than he is at hand to hand combat," Eagle sounded like he was boasting.

I felt annoyed at this and more than a little embarrassed. Okay, I was pleased at the fact that Eagle had told how good I was at shooting. How could I be anything else with my father obsessively teaching me how to shoot? This was a subject I still hadn't dealt with. Dad may have said he wasn't an assassin but there was something in his eyes that told me he wasn't against killing. Neither was I but only in the heat of battle or to save innocent lives. It wasn't the same as assassination I told myself.

"That's the problem," the sergeant sounded exasperated. "He was my favorite."

I felt saddened. I _had_been the sergeant's favorite. But it sounded like he had changed his mind after that disastrous fight with Pigeon that afternoon. But at the same time I had actually made the sergeant recognize my skills as a more than good soldier. And Eagle too was pleased with me. Well he had noted on what a good shooter I was. I heard Eagle actually laugh at the sergeant. I knew they were friends. I knew that the sergeant had a softer side he hid from us recruits. But I also knew I'd never have the nerve to _laugh_at the sergeant.

"Aww, is little Wolfie feeling let down," laughed Eagle. **(1)**

"Wolfie"? I questioned. I guessed that the sergeant's codename was Wolf. I had to say that it didn't half suit the sergeant with his wolfish glare and growling voice. But I don't think that anyone in the right mind would call the sergeant "Wolfie"! It probably helped that Eagle was the best sharpshooter so if the sergeant attacked him all Eagle would do is shoot the man. Oh yeah and they were old buddies. I waited to hear what Sergeant Wolfie (I snickered internally at my nickname for our sergeant) would say to Eagle.

"You can't say he has great potential," growled Wolf.

"Just because he got knocked out once doesn't mean he isn't a good soldier," Eagle defended me. "Look how many times you've been knocked out by Cub, even when he was fifteen."

"Point taken," the sergeant didn't sound happy about admitting to being knocked down by a _fifteen_year old.

Fifteen? This Cub person had been in SAS camp at the age of fifteen! And Cub had somehow managed to knock out Wolf when he had been in the prime of his life. I hadn't even known that children could become spies. Or was he just in SAS camp at that time. When I was fifteen I had been sweating over exams not sweating over the training. I didn't think anyone would be able to get a one over the sergeant. It just shows you doesn't it? I was desperate to hear more about myself or Cub from the sergeant and sharp shooting instructor.

"He shoots like Cub," Eagle said.

"Apart from today I thought he fought quite like Cub too," added Sergeant Wolf.

"He looks like him too," added Eagle, "Same blonde hair."

"Eyes are different though," Wolf said. "But where did he learn instinctive firing?" asked the sergeant.

"He said he met someone on the field who taught him it," I heard the frown in Eagle's voice.

"You don't believe him?" asked the sergeant.

"How many soldiers do you know instinctive firing," demanded Eagle.

I felt my stomach flip at this. I didn't want to give my father away. I decided it was time to head back to my hut. I heard the sergeant mention something about spies. But that wasn't true. I've never met any spies. It would be cool if I have but I haven't. I wondered what spies were like. I knew that the SAS had some relations with the secret services but I hadn't passed training enough to know exactly what. How cool would it be to work with spies? I ended back up in our barracks where the other three were already asleep and I joined them in that position.

**1 – So who got that the sergeant was Wolf. Congratulations to iFicti0n, Albany, youngjusticefanatic, KathyLove1 you all got it right.**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed. I try to respond to all the reviews.**


	9. Polar Bear's Reveal

9. Polar Bear's Reveal

That Wednesday morning we were once again up at five hundred hours. I was getting really sick of this. We all headed out to where the Sergeant was waiting for us. We were all on time but obviously exhausted. How the sergeant could be up this early I had no idea. I knew Dad was the same though. Early risers I thought in disgust. How could you do that to yourself? At least with the sergeant I knew why. Years of conditioning from the army but why would a banker have the same conditioning unless he really was an assassin?

The first thing we had to do was shooting. Or at least our unit, A Unit, I Unit, M Unit and N Unit were. I decided that the people who ran SAS training were insane. Who in their right mind would outfit half awake, unfed men with deadly guns at five in the morning? They were insane! But I supposed that on the field no matter what the time was we would have to be ready for a fight. No matter how tired, no matter how hungry, no matter what we were feeling we'd have to fight. I had always known training would be hard.

And field work even harder. I supposed it could be worse looking at C Unit, D Unit, F Unit and R Unit who were going to be expected to fight each other. I headed off with the rest of the five units to where Eagle was standing. I looked to the Gun Stand. Today it was different, there were twenty chairs sat around obviously for us. So we were being taught on guns today. Behind Eagle was some sort of machine guns. Dad hadn't been able to get hold of any machine guns to teach me with but I had learned some in the regular army.

I sat down between Dog and Polar Bear in the second row from the front. Bat was on the seat furthest away from Polar Bear. Honestly those two were like children at times. I realised I sounded like a mother hen and decided to stop. It was Dog's job to be the mother hen and even he didn't do it very well. After we had all filed in and taken our seats Eagle stood up to began his seminar on whatever this gun was. My gut twisted as I looked at it even after all these years guns still made me think of my mother's violent, tragic and early death.

'This is a General Purpose Machine Gun **(1) **or the GPMG which is often used in periods of sustained fire which may occur in the course of your service. If it does then this beauty here,' Eagle stroked the machine gun in a loving way, 'can be used in times of light fire but not so commonly. As you can see,' Eagle gestured towards the gun. 'It is mounted upon a tripod stand which you will be learning to set up later on. And there is a C2 optical sight unit which is not so good for you Tiger. And why would that be, Tiger?' he asked suddenly.

'Because it means I cannot use instinctive firing, sir,' I replied.

'Right,' agreed Eagle with a small smile and a nod of his head. 'And why is that Swan.'

'Um,' Swan stuttered, 'I don't know, sir.'

'Drop and give me thirty,' ordered Eagle. 'Pigeon?'

Pigeon sneered at Swan as the raven haired man did his press ups for not knowing the answer. I knew it and it seemed that Pigeon did as well. But did Pigeon really have to act so arrogant and better than everyone else? He was training here just like everyone else. I mean Polar Bear might be hardened and unresponsive but he wasn't arrogant. Pigeon was around Polar Bear's age and like Polar Bear he was angry that he was training with a lot young recruits to get into the SAS. But unlike Polar Bear he was taking it out on us. Like the fact that he had knocked me out needlessly just because I had been beating him at training.

'Because it's more about aiming using the C2 optical sight unit rather than just basing on instinct, sir,' Pigeon's lips curled at the last word. Then he looked at me, 'maybe instinctive firing isn't the best form of shooting,' he sneered at me.

'Did I ask for your input, soldier?' demanded Eagle.

'No sir,' muttered Pigeon.

'What was that?' Eagle demanded.

'No. Sir,' repeated Pigeon again as though speaking to a slow child.

'Thirty press ups for disrespecting me,' ordered Eagle.

Pigeon sneered again and unhappily dropped to the floor. Swan had just finished his thirty. I was almost jumping for joy to see that my previous assailant was now being punished. It was my turn to smirk at Pigeon. I looked towards I Unit. I had to say that none of them looked particularly upset at how their sharpshooter was being treated. Not that I blamed them. I imagined that Pigeon was a difficult person to be in a Unit with. Polar Bear was silent and growly but he respected me at least even if he did not like Bat at all.

'Right,' Eagle ignored the soldier doing press ups. 'Aside from that Tiger it needs to men two operate it. So when we go outside to practice I would like you to get into teams of two.'

At this point I looked around and saw my comrades doing the same. Bat and Dog shared a look. This didn't surprise me Dog liked everyone and Bat was scared of Polar Bear. Polar Bear didn't think anything of Dog but resented Bat. However, Polar Bear seemed to quietly respect me. Not that he would say anything to confirm that. Pigeon finished doing his press ups with an angry glare at me. I glanced at Polar Bear who seemed to be the only one not looking around for a partner. But I knew we would end up together.

'There are specialist platoons who deal with the GPMG which some of you might go on to be in,' Eagle said looking at me.

I suspected with what Eagle had said last night about my shooting skills that I'd be prime for that. I didn't like to tell him that I was better with hand held guns. Everyone else saw what Eagle wasn't saying about me. Pigeon glared at me whilst Polar Bear smirked proudly of me. The other three sharpshooters apart from myself and Pigeon offered envious looks. I knew it was because I was the best shooter in our bunch. Eagle didn't seem to notice or perhaps didn't care to comment on the stir his look at me had caused.

'At Battalion level it will be used more at support level. What does that mean Terrier?' Eagle directed at the red headed leader of M Unit.

'Um,' Terrier seemed to be thinking hard about that, 'that the shooters will not be in the thick of it.'

Eagle gave a sharp nod, 'when planning an attack with the GPMG always remember that it is best for those manning the GPMG to remain back. And aim is vital. Why is that Camel?' Eagle demanded of N Unit's red headed sharpshooter.

'So that we don't hit our own side, sir,' Camel replied.

Eagle nodded, 'as I said before it has a much better advantage in sustained fire. It can have up to 1800 metres range in sustained fire as compared to 800 metres in a lighter role. The muzzle velocity can reach up to 538 m/s. Its Belt Fed Rate of Fire can reach up to 750 revolutions per minute. In the more common sustained fire it can reach 200 revolutions per minute compared to the light roles where it will only reach half of that – up to 100 revolutions per minute,' Eagle then took the gun showing it to everyone, 'as you can see it is 1.23 metres long. It is loaded with fifty rounds. The gun and the rounds is be quite heavy – 13.85kg. Now I would like you to split into pairs and set a GPMG up in each pair.'

As I expected Polar Bear and I were together whilst Bat and Dog were together. We went outside and looked at the black weapon that was currently dismantled. Polar Bear seemed at loss about what to do. Eagle had given us almost all the information about the weapon except how the build it. I got the fact that it was a test. Eagle meant for us to show our common sense and problem solving skills. I looked over at Bat and Dog. Dog (like Polar Bear) seemed pretty at loss about what to do but Bat was managing okay.

'What do we do?' growled Polar Bear.

'You're asking me?' I demanded, 'you're the one that's been here before!'

A very tense silence followed what I had just said. I was cursing myself for my slip up brought on by anger and frustration and hating not knowing what to do. My education in machine guns was woefully lacking. But I should have known that angering my Unit leader by the thing that shamed him more than anything else was a very bad idea. I glanced back over to Dog and Bat who were making good progress unlike Polar Bear and I who were squabbling. Pigeon was having as much trouble currently terrorising his Unit Leader.

'If you must know,' growled Polar Bear, 'it was my firearms that got me binned,' he growled.

I could see that Polar Bear was far from happy about revealing this little bit of knowledge. I wondered why he had done so now. Was I finally earning the hard man's trust? I hadn't thought that was possible but maybe I'd done something. I wracked my brains. What could have changed? I'd answered the one question that Eagle directed at me correctly but that couldn't explain Polar Bear's attitude. Maybe it was a slow build up of me showing my skills. But I got knocked out yesterday afternoon!

'Well I'm not much of a leader,' I said.

Polar Bear snorted, 'I had just come back from being tortured.'

I couldn't believe that Polar Bear had been tortured. Torture was something so opposite to my almost innocent way of thinking. But the scars and his reluctance to let our medic examine him suddenly made a lot of sense and his gruffness which must have been gained from trials. Then there was the fact that he didn't want anyone less than fully trained out on the field. I slightly wondered what this had to do with Polar Bear's gunmanship. Unless he had been still injured last time he was here.

'You've been tortured? Why?' I couldn't help but asking.

'They thought I knew something I didn't,' growled Polar Bear.

'I'm so-'I began.

'Don't,' growled Polar Bear.

'Thanks for telling me,' I said.

Polar Bear ignored me, 'machine guns?' he asked.

'I'm better with hand held guns,' I replied.

'What about your father?' asked Polar Bear with a growl.

'Where would a banker get hold of a machine gun?' I asked sounding depressed.

'Where would a banker get hold of any gun?' asked Polar Bear with a feral laugh.

'He's Dad,' I replied.

'Polar Bear, Tiger, Bear, Pigeon get to work,' ordered Eagle.

I was embarrassed at being told off but at the same time smirked when Pigeon was told off too. It seemed that the currently red faced man's way of shouting at his leader wasn't helping him. We looked at the pieces that we currently had still yet to begin. I really didn't like building the machine gun. But at least it seemed that none of our group liked this. I was still thinking of what Polar Bear had told me. I decided to go easier on him considering the man had been tortured! I shuddered at the mere thought.

'Should we start with the tripod?' I asked.

Polar Bear gave me a sharp nod. We set to work standing the tripod stand up. Then we placed the gun on top of it almost ready to shoot. Then we placed the C2 optical sight unit on it. Finally we loaded it with the first round. I would aim whilst Polar Bear would load the next round for the first twenty five rounds. Then we would switch places for the last twenty five. A few teams had completed it before us including Dog and Bat. But to my delight Pigeon and his unit leader Bear were the last to complete it.

'Okay now you will aim for your targets,' ordered Eagle.

We did just as we had done so with the same style of targets we had done so yesterday. I thought it was almost easier than Dad's targets because we didn't use human style targets. I had always found dad's willingness to use practice on so called humans disturbing. I didn't say as much but I did. It was further evidence that Dad was a killer. In Afghanistan I had taken lives but in the heat of battle. Not a cold blooded way which Dad had taken upon himself to teach me how to do. At the end of the lesson we came one of the top in the class. I was definitely a good shooter.

**1) The information I've got on the GPMG is got from ****http : / www . sasspecialairservice . com / sas – machine – guns – machinegun . html**

**I just had to punish Pigeon in this chapter.**

**So we have some more information on Polar Bear. Tell me what you think? Did Polar Bear's revelation seem in character?**


	10. Cub's Coming

10. Cub's Coming

We headed back for our breakfast where I could see that the other units seemed to be buzzing. I hadn't told Dog and Bat what Polar Bear and I had discussed. Polar Bear was giving no sign that we had even had the conversation. We sat down with our gruel and grimaces on each of our faces as per usual. I looked over at Bat who seemed to notice that the units who had been with Wolf were looking very excited. This I knew was unusual for SAS camp where the normal facial expression was exhaustion.

'What's got everyone so excited?' I asked.

'Does it matter?' growled Polar Bear.

Yep Polar Bear had definitely gone back to how he was with Bat and Dog. Honestly I could swear that man was bipolar. Either that or he liked me. Bat gave Polar Bear a wary look obviously wondering what had got his stomach in a twist. I guessed he was scared that I would tell the others his secret. Not that I would. I don't give away my secrets. Not now, not ever! I mean I suspected that my father, my uncle and my aunt were assassins (even if I wished it weren't so) and I hadn't said anything. And I was a soldier in a camp full of SAS men and SAS trainees.

'It must be something big to get them to act like this,' Bat said after giving Polar Bear a wary glance.

'Wonder what,' murmured Dog.

'Why don't we ask,' I said. 'Hey Lynx what's going on?' I asked of the black leader of C Unit.

'Haven't you heard?' asked the young blonde in D Unit excitedly.

'No,' Dog, Bat, several other members of the shooters group.

'Cub's come to town,' the bald member of F Unit said.

'You're kidding?' demanded Polar Bear forgetting to be gruff for once.

'He arrived at the end of our combat lessons,' added the grey haired, hard eyed member of C Unit.

'That man knows how to fight,' added in Saber.

'What did he show you?' asked Lion.

'He doesn't do much by legal moves,' smirked Mole.

'Really?' I asked.

This didn't bother me at all. I could see several of my comrades shaking their heads. But I had been brought up by Alex Rider. And Dad was not one for letting things like legalities getting in the way of him winning. The way he saw it if you could get away with it and it would be for the best then you should do it. That got us in a lot of trouble in sports matches when we attempted to cheat. I remember what Dad had said to me when I told him I had a red card for pee wee football when I was seven years old.

Mum had still been alive back then. We were quite happy even with Dad's mysterious disappearances and injuries. But I didn't even think of them back then. It wasn't until after Mum was killed did I think it was odd. Every time that Dad left I would worry he wouldn't come back from work. Just like Mum had never come back. No matter what the teachers said it still scared me. After time I got used to it although I still had to remind myself that no one in the right mind would kill a banker!

But the injuries would always worry me. Now I wasn't so sure Dad was a banker. It would certainly explain the injuries. Did that mean that those on the same side as me – spies – tried to kill my father? Did Dad kill them? But surely they wouldn't have let me in if I was the son of an assassin! Unless Dad used a fake alias when taking hits. Or maybe he worked as an assassin for the government. I still wouldn't like it if that were the case but at least I could accept my Dad wasn't betraying the country I believed in.

It had been two years before she had been killed when I got the red card. It was June only two months left until the new baby was born. I remember the arguments we had about the names; mum had wanted Mary (Dad thought it was a boring name) whilst Dad had wanted Joan. Somehow they'd come to an agreement about Eleanor. At that time Mum had been very obviously pregnant and Dad was spending time off work to be with her. I was the only one in school with the twins going to nursery in the morning and Ian was still at home being only just two.

All in all, the Rider home a very happy household at that time. We could have no idea how things would change in years to come. At this time Jake's mum hadn't run off with the milkman. I remembered being very nervous about confronting my parents about this. They had both been at my football match with my younger siblings so had all seen. I knew if it had been some of my other friends parents they'd all have been grounded. So I tried to sneak past them without them hearing. But I underestimated Dad who sat me down in the kitchen.

'_Dad,' I said nervously._

'_John,' smiled Dad not looking cross at all._

'_John,' frowned Mum looking disapproving._

'_If this is about the football match I can explain,' I said desperately._

'_You better young man,' my hormonal mother said warningly._

I was sure that if it had been any other mother whose seven year old son was off the football match for an illegal tackle that luckily didn't hurt anyone then they would have shouted. But Mum never shouted. Mum had said when I was younger that raising your voice to a child doesn't help, it just makes them angrier which makes you angrier. Dad didn't raise his voice to us much because Dad just didn't get angry. Dad could control most of his emotions. The only time I had seen him even slightly emotional was when Mum had died but he hid that too after coming back from his latest "conference" or was it hit?

'_Look I didn't mean to,' I looked at Dad pleadingly. 'I just wanted to wi-'I began._

'_John,' Dad said seriously. 'It's not the fact that you cheated but the fact you were caught. Next time you cheat learn to cover your tracks better.'_

I had laughed at this. Only Dad could say something like that. Any other parent would be disappointed that I had cheated. But oh no not Dad; Dad was disappointed I had been caught cheating. That was just Dad all over. He didn't care what people thought of him. He just did and said what he did and said regardless of what other people said. Mum was less impressed than me though. She turned to look at my blonde father, her blue eyes blazing with fury as she hit Dad over the head with a newspaper.

Yes that's right my mother Carrie-Rose Naomi Rider Nee Hadley had hit Dad over the head with a newspaper. I hadn't thought anyone could get a one over Dad until then. But that was Mum all over. I had also not expected Mum to be hitting anyone even when hormonal. Mum was always so kind and gentle. Helen was the only one who had inherited that off mum whilst the rest of us were more than happy to beat bullies up. I think whole the school (including the teachers) knew not to tick us Riders off.

'_Alexander John Rider,' Mum had hissed. 'That is not what you tell your seven year old son.'_

'_Carrie-'Dad had begun sounding placating._

'_On no you're not going to Carrie me,' Mum had said, 'you tell __**your**__ son off or I'll make you sleep on the couch and no amount of crazy stunts or gadgets will get you back into bed with me.'_

I had thought that what Mum had said was funny. "You're not going to Carrie me" but I was careful to keep all laughter off my face. I was in enough trouble from Mum as it was without getting into more trouble. But the last sentence of Mum's still confused me; crazy stunts? Since when did Dad perform crazy stunts? Okay I knew he liked extreme sports but he was a banker. But now I suspected that Dad was an assassin maybe that accounted for his crazy stunts. Did that mean Mum knew? And gadgets; just because Dad always had top of the range mobiles and cars (that he'd never let us ride in) didn't mean he had gadgets.

I had wondered if that was mum's way of saying electronic gizmos. I had wondered then if Dad was some sort of inventor. But I had pushed that idea aside as I would have heard had my Dad invented anything. But maybe he did so in his spare time. I wondered if it was in his office. I had always tried to get into his office but it seemed more impenetrable than Fort Knox. I had thought then that maybe Dad had gadgets in there. What did Dad have to hide? As a child I had thought many things from the fact that Dad was really an alien with a secret spaceship (that was when I was into Doctor Who) to now thinking it was the fact he was an Assassin.

'_Yes, Carrie, dear,' Dad had said meekly. 'John you shouldn't have cheated,' Dad had told me._

Then he glanced at Mum and mouthed the words "and got caught". Mum appeared not to notice and I tried not to smile, quite successfully. I was then sent up to my room and only allowed down for dinner. Mums I had thought then. But by the next morning it had been forgotten by the fact that Ian was feeling poorly. By the end of the week we all had it, even Dad although he tried not to show it. Dad was the only one who could actually function with that horrible bug that had the rest of us dead for a week.

'Yeah,' said Stag, 'so much for honour and nobility.'

'If it means you survive who cares,' argued the grey haired man from C unit.

'It means we're no better than those we fight,' argued Stag.

'It's War,' said Lizard harshly. 'What do you expect?'

'But what is he like?' I asked again.

'A good teacher,' Lynx said.

'Pushes you to better yourself,' added Saber.

'Always seems to know everything about everyone,' added the Leader of D Unit.

'That was unnerving,' agreed Rat.

'Very,' agreed Stag.

'What if you can't do what he asks of you?' asked the small member of M Unit.

'He has no time for incompetence,' Polar Bear growled.

'If you can't do it he says you might as well leave,' added one of D Unit, 'because we'll only die on the field.'

I was slightly nervous about meeting this Cub now. I just hoped that I didn't pass out in hand to hand combat again. But then I remembered he wasn't going to be teaching Hand to Hand Combat next. I knew we had counter terrorism. So Cub knew something about terrorist organisations. I supposed that he was a spy. At least according to Polar Bear who as gruff as he was I did have a great deal of respect for and trusted him with my life. Presumably Cub had done some missions where he infiltrated a terrorist organisation.

'Polar Bear?' I said hesitantly and unsurprisingly I got no reply. 'Do you know if Cub knows a lot about terrorist organisations?'

He and I both knew what I wasn't saying. I was truthfully asking whether or not when he was here last year had Cub taught him about terrorist organisations. But I had not said in so many words that he had been binned last year. We both were aware that everyone had seen through the question. But for some reason Polar Bear didn't seem to mind too much. Maybe it was his respect for this Cub person shining through. I had to admit with what everyone had said I was excited and more than a little nervous about what Cub could teach me – well us.

'Everything,' growled Polar Bear.

'What?' I asked confused.

'Cub knows everything on terrorism,' growled Polar Bear.

'Really?' I asked.

Polar Bear just grunted. I ate the rest of my meal in silence wondering what Polar Bear had meant that Cub knew everything on terrorism. I had to say I was excited and more than a little nervous. Polar Bear didn't hand respect out like candy. I believed that in our whole camp I was the only one who had managed to gain his respect. The fact that he acted like this about Cub made me think that this Cub was brilliant. I really wanted to hurry up and get over to the teaching rooms to see who this Cub was.


	11. Wolf's No Fairy Princess

11. Wolf's No Fairy Princess

'Come on,' I said. 'Let's hurry up I want good seats.'

'It's not a concert,' growled Polar Bear.

'But we want to make a good impression on Cub,' Dog said.

Polar Bear merely grunted. He pushed his tray away from him and stood up. Dog, Bat and I did the same. It was obvious that we were heading towards the teaching cabin. We were the first one there. I presumed that Eagle, the sergeant and Cub were still in the sergeant's office. Dog and Bat leaned against the wooden buildings whilst Polar Bear just glared at everyone around as was his usual. I just stood awkwardly. I supposed we could have waited a bit longer to come to the cabin. It was my mum's impatient streak shining again.

'I suppose we could have waited a bit longer,' I said chirpily.

'You think,' growled Polar Bear apparently taking offence to my chirpiness.

I ignored Polar Bear's growl, 'blame my mum,' I said. 'It's her who I inherited my impatience from at least that's what Dad says,' I laughed.

'What does your mum say to that?' asked Dog.

'Mum's dead,' I said.

'I'm sorry,' Dog said.

'Why?' I demanded. 'You didn't shoot her!'

'She was shot?' asked Bat in surprise.

'I was ten,' I replied.

'Why?' asked Bat.

'Bat,' Dog said exasperatedly, 'it's really none of our business.'

'Some nutter with a gun,' I replied.

'Must have been hard,' Dog said.

'I had Dad and my four siblings,' I replied.

'No step mum?' asked Bat.

I shook my head, 'I think Dad's still in love with mum even thirteen years on. It's why I joined the army,' I said. 'To save civilian lives like my mum's.'

There was an awkward silence at this point. I could tell that nobody knew exactly what to say to my pronouncement. Not that I blamed them. Polar Bear was for once not glaring. Actually Polar Bear seemed to empathise with me. I wondered had he lost people as well. I hoped not but it would go further than the torture and failure to explain Polar Bar's gruffness. Bat didn't even seem to be trying to understand what had happened with my mother whilst Dog seemed to pity me. I hated pity!

I had got a lot of it from the teachers, parents and friends at school directly after mum had died. I had hated it. I just wanted people to leave me alone and forget it had ever happened. Not forget Mum, never forget mum! But I somehow thought that if people didn't think of my Mum's death I would wake up one day and she'd be here. Of course Mum was dead and never came back. I went through a very bad patch (we all did) but I was the one always in the Headmistress' Office for bullying.

Unlike Nelly who being only three was too young to fully comprehend the fact that Mum wasn't coming home even if she was exceptionally clingy towards Dad. Of course, she was upset. But she didn't understand it. Ian seemed to bury himself in books to blot out the rest of the world. And for a five year old that was quite difficult. But then again Ian always had been the smartest of the lot. No matter what people said about me. Helen seemed to be lifeless all the time only moving and speaking if she had to. People worried she was depressed. Jackie was crying all the time.

And Jacklinn Clare Rider never cried! And I was fighting all the time. The teachers gave me certain leeway but they couldn't turn a blind eye so called Dad in to have a talk with me. At this time it was only Dad that held our family together. I don't know what we would have done if it hadn't been for Dad. The only evidence that Dad was grieving was the fact he always had bags around his eyes. I remembered what Dad had said when we spoke to one another in the presence of the Headmistress and Nelly.

'_John,' he had said quietly. 'Why did you beat up two seven year olds?' he had asked._

'_They were talking about Mum-'I choked out._

_I was never able to hide anything from Dad. There was just something about his calming presence that had made me want to spill all my darkest secrets. I remembered sitting in the headmistress's office and begin to cry. I saw the Headmistress give me a pitying look. Dad's expression didn't change but he did take me into his arms and let me cry. Dad wasn't one for giving out hugs to everyone so when he did you knew it was bad. I just sat there crying letting out all the grief and frustration that had been building in me since Mum's Death._

'_Can I take him home?' Dad had asked._

'_Of course, Mr Rider, take as much time as you need,' she answered my father. Then directed her next sentence towards me, 'there will be no punishment John but remember your father and us are all there for you.'_

_Suddenly I found myself on my feet, 'I DON'T NEED ANY HELP!' I had screamed at my teacher._

'_John,' Dad said tiredly. 'I know it's hard but remember you're not alone.'_

'_I think we should be going,' Dad had said._

_Dad was holding Nelly close to him and Nelly was clinging to him. In those days Nelly wouldn't leave Dad alone for two seconds. And she certainly wouldn't let him go to the school without her even if Dad had encouraged her to stay with Granny, Grandpa, Uncle Ben, Aunt Tamara, Aunt Jess and Uncle Chris. After Mum's death Dad never left any of us with a babysitter as though he thought they would kill us as well. But we were fine with that as we were not overly trusting of other people for quite some time after that._

'_Wait Mr Rider,' the Headmistress had said. 'I'm worried about the other children as well.'_

'_Me too,' sighed Dad._

'_Jackie's crying all the time,' Mrs McCauley began._

'_I know,' Dad sighed. 'I'm trying to get her to talk to me but she's too independent.'_

_Mrs McCauley nodded, 'I know.'_

'_Suppose she gets that off me,' Dad gave a sad smile._

'_Try to get her to talk,' Mrs McCauley said._

'_I will,' Dad said._

'_Helen and Ian aren't talking to anyone,' Mrs McCauley added. 'Helen isn't concentrating on anything. I think she's depressed. On the other hand Ian's not doing anything but work.'_

'_I know,' sighed Dad. 'He's like Carrie,' here Dad's voice broke and he paused for a second. 'He escapes the world into books.'_

_Mrs McCauley nodded, 'we have a list of child psychologists should you need them.'_

'_Thanks,' Dad said._

'_And try to get some sleep,' added Mrs McCauley._

We had then left the Headmistress' Office. Mrs McCauley had watched us go looking very sad. As it was none of us needed a psychologist only Ben Daniels. Ben got us each to open up about mum's death. Dad had said he had done some psychology at University. I didn't know why a banker needed psychology. At that time I didn't care and now I didn't understand. But with Ben's help we got back onto our feet. Dad returned to work, we returned to our normal school routine and soon our mother's death wasn't sensational gossip anymore. No, that was how Gerry's father had a fling with the Year Eight's teacher.

Dog cleared his throat, 'I'm sure your mother would be very proud of you.'

'You sound like my Dad,' I muttered.

'Is that an insult or a compliment?' laughed Dog.

'An insult,' Bat said at once.

'Gee thanks,' Dog smiled.

I remembered when Dad had last told me that Mum would be very proud of me. He said that quite often to all of us. I think it's his way of keeping her in his heart. It was the beginning of the Christmas holidays for Nelly. Ian was back from University. Jackie was still at the police station. Helen was getting ready to leave for work. Dad was going to be off on a conference in the Middle East on the twenty sixth of December for a while. He only just managed to spend Christmas with us. On the plus side he didn't need anyone looking after us as Nelly was now old enough to stay in the house on her own. Plus with all of us older siblings we could help her.

Dad still hadn't arrived back when I left for SAS camp which was something that saddened me. Dad had promised to be back before. He had actually said he had something to tell me. I thought it was his secret but he hadn't arrived back. I had just got the letter inviting me to train with the SAS. Dad had stared at it looking completely gobsmacked at it. I thought for a moment he was going to tell me I couldn't go. That it was much too dangerous. That he didn't want to lose me like he had mum. But what he did was so unexpected.

'_Guess what guys,' I had grinned._

'_What?' Ian and Nelly had said together smirking a very Dad-like smirk at me._

'_I've been invited for SAS testing,' I had grinned._

'_SAS training?' Dad had raised an eyebrow._

'_Yeah,' I had said. 'I know it's dang-'I began._

'_No,' Dad shook his head and my heart sank. I refused to look at him. 'I'm not telling you what to do. I'll worry about you, of course. It's a father's job to worry about his kids.'_

'_Dad,' I moaned, 'I'm not a child anymore.'_

'_You'll always be my child,' Dad had told me._

_I had groaned, 'but won't you worry about me dying like Mum.'_

'_I always worry about losing you,' Dad had said seriously. 'But your mum would be very proud of you,' Dad had smiled._

'_Really?' I had asked._

'_Oh yes,' Dad had his secret smile on again. 'Your Mother heavily respected the military.'_

'_Will you be back before I leave?' I had asked hopefully._

'_Yes,' Dad had said, 'and I'd like to talk to you then.'_

'_What about?' I had asked._

'_Something important,' Dad had said._

And that was all Dad would say on the matter. Nelly appeared to know but she wouldn't tell any of us for some reason. But it obviously wasn't that important because Dad never came back in time for SAS training. I knew sometimes that Dad's work made it so he missed things but he tried his best to be there for the important days. So why wasn't he here for me when I needed him to be? Why hadn't he told me the secret before he had left? Was he going to inform me he was an assassin? But why would any self respecting assassin be fine with their oldest son joining the SAS where they could be enemies unless Dad wasn't an assassin.

I so hoped that was true. We heard the others joining us until all nine units of SAS men were here. We were all rather excitable much like children before a school trip. Then the sergeant joined us too without Eagle who must be back with Cub. We were let in. My unit managed to get the front desks. We sat waiting for Cub knowing to be quiet now that the sergeant was there. I wondered what Cub would punish us with if we talked in his seminar. Wolf got up to speak and I wondered if it had all been a wind up but that didn't seem the sergeant's style.

'Soldiers we have a very esteemed guest this morning,' growled the sergeant. 'That's right today Cub has flown directly from his last mission in Saudi Arabia. And you listen to me you slimy maggots Cub is an incredibly senior member of MI6 if you disrespect him he could make it that you never work another day in your life so respect him. If I hear of any nonsense I will leave you to Cub's tender mercies!'

We were all very silent at this speech. I couldn't help but worry. Had Dad been caught up with what this Cub was doing? If he was an assassin he could have gone to the Middle East and been Cub's enemy which I had a feeling was a very bad idea. If he wasn't then he could have been caught up with whatever had happened. I just hoped my only living parent was okay. I wondered if Cub really could have us all sacked. The idea of anyone with that much power scared me. If the sergeant felt that Cub was bad then he really must be bad because the sergeant was no fairy princess himself.

Then in walked Cub.


	12. A Cub's Son is a Tiger

12. A Cub's Son is a Tiger

Then Cub walked in looking very calm like he did this all the time and true enough he obviously came fairly frequently. He was dressed in combats like the rest of us with S.A.S. spelled out in red on the back and a small animal of some sort on his badge. He was the same height as me give or take a few centimeters. His blonde hair streamed out from under his military issue cap. It was exactly the same color as mine. Cub's deep brown, intelligent dark eyes sought out my bright blue ones in what I took to be an apologetic glance.

Cub obviously had quite the tan on his face and hands from his time spent doing who knows what in the Middle East. He had a burn on his left hand and flower shaped bruise on his right cheek. I realized now where all his injuries had come from. They had come from being injured in action. His face was all but emotionless. A look I knew all too well. Now everything about Cub made sense because Cub wasn't just some nameless spy. No I knew Cub. I knew Cub very well. This terrifying and dangerous legendary spy was none other than my father!

This must be why Dad had never gone to University. Of course, it was. Uncle Tom had even told me that he had quit school because he already a job. And Cub had been in SAS camp since he was fifteen around the same time Dad had left school. So Dad had skipped school and university to become a spy. Did that mean that Uncle Tom knew? Of course he did that was why he was so reluctant to talk to me about the truth! Who else knew I wondered. It seemed Nelly did. Did that mean I was the only one of our siblings not to know?

What about Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara who apparently worked with Dad. Well they came back from work with the same bruises and scars and had the same dark look in their eyes. Did that mean that they were spies too? How many spies had I met without realizing it? My whole world was falling to pieces. It felt to me that everything I thought I knew was in fact a lie. My breath was coming fast. I wondered if I was having a panic attack. Trust me I could go through Afghanistan but I couldn't survive finding the truth about my father!

Dad had told us that he worked at the bank with Aunt Tamara and Uncle Ben. That was obviously a complete and utter lie but I had seen the bank including the patch of blood outside. I would have thought that Dad was just lying about working there except that the guards knew him. Maybe it was a cover for MI6 where Dad really worked. No wonder Dad had got so high up without any grades. But don't you need to grades to be recruited for MI6. And surely you can't recruit a fifteen year old! How had Dad ended up being a spy so young?

And why hadn't he told me. Didn't he trust me? I was feeling betrayed. I could lie. I know I have a lot of friends but I wouldn't tell them the truth about my Dad's job. I was no idiot. Okay maybe as a young child he shouldn't have told me but what about when I graduated school and then university? What about when I got into the army. What about when I ended up in the SAS. He would have known I'd find out soon enough. Oh yeah he told me he had something important to tell me before I left for SAS camp.

I'd always wondered why Dad refused to talk to us about his work. I'd heard many of the other children except Jake and we Riders talk about their parents jobs. I'd talked about my mum's job as a vet which was one up from Jake I had thought. Whenever we had career days where our parents came in to talk to us about their jobs I always had to ask Uncle Tom, Uncle Chris, Aunt Jessie, Grandpa, or Granny to talk. No wonder it wasn't like Dad could stand up and tell a bunch of primary school children about official secrets.

Was that why he didn't tell us? That would make sense and make it slightly better if the only reason Dad had lied to us all was because of the fact he couldn't legally tell us. I didn't much about the Official Secrets act and I still didn't like the fact that I had been lied to. I hated being lied to but at least it finally made sense to me. But then why did Nelly know? I knew that Nelly had known some secret about Dad but nothing of this magnitude. Here was I thinking Dad was an assassin. I felt kind of guilty thinking that now.

I also felt sort of stupid about when I had thought about Dad's job as a child. As a child I'd always thought there would be nothing more boring than being a banker! I had wanted to be a superhero and when I had realized I couldn't be a superhero I wanted to be James Bond. Dad had always laughed at me when I had said that. Well that made a lot of sense now. When I had told Dad he had a boring job he had also laughed. And no wonder. Dad's job was bound to be everything but boring! Well he could have told me that.

Then I had caught sight of the Smith and Wesson in Dad's built. Guns brought me back to the painful subject of my mother's death. When she had been some banker's wife her death was sad and tragic but not planned. Now I wondered if Dad hadn't told us everything. He always looked incredibly guilty about Mum's death. Was she killed to get to him? Was that the reason that Dad never told us the truth about what he did? To protect us! But then why tell the youngest of us? But Dad had started to teach us to fight soon after Mum's death.

I had thought at the time that it was a way to distract us from the terrible events that had occurred. But now I was beginning to understand my father more and more. The reason he had been so difficult for any of us to understand was because we thought of him as an eccentric banker rather than what he was. What hopes did anyone have of understanding someone who kept such a huge part of their lives from their own children? I wished he had felt able to tell us the truth and that I had realized the truth for what it was.

I thought back to when Nelly was eleven and acted all shaken up. Had she stumbled upon Dad's work in a less than pleasant way? It would certainly explain her clinginess towards Dad at the same time. Now that I had uncovered – well be shown in such an undeniable way – the truth there was so many questions that I wanted – no needed – the answers to. Why couldn't I have a normal father with a normal job like everyone else had? But then I wouldn't be who I was. I wouldn't have my father's patriotism and I wouldn't be here.

I should have realized Dad didn't have a safe job by the fact that whenever he was away Mum and Nelly were very quiet. It made sense to me now. Two of the Rider woman who had actually known the truth were always terrified whenever Dad was away. They were scared that he wasn't coming back. Did my family feel the same way about me when I was off fighting? I hoped not; I didn't want them to worry about me. I did what I believed in for the good of the free citizen. But they cared for me so probably worried about me anyway.

The sergeant had thought he'd met me before which he hadn't. But he had trained with Dad meaning that he recognized me. I wondered why hadn't met any of Dad's army buddies. And why hadn't Dad told them I was coming. They knew my name didn't they? Well maybe they didn't know Dad's name I supposed. Dad had never been the kind of person to give away any of his details. A fact that now made a lot of sense to me. Dad's secretive nature came from the fact he was in Secret Service.

It had always annoyed me how Dad would never communicate with us when he was away on business trips but now it made a lot of sense. It would completely blow is cover if he was to communicate with us. Never mind put us in a lot of danger. Well at least I know why he didn't argue against my decision to join the army like a lot of parents would. It would make him a bloody hypocrite if he did. Dad was probably one of those who actually understood why I fought. Blimey no wonder Nelly had said we were alike.

Uncle Ben had even told me that Dad had a very hard life. This was what he must mean. But Dad chose to be a spy. But I supposed there must be days like when Mum was killed that Dad must hate to be a spy. He was human and everyone had those days and working for any form of military was significantly harder than most people's lives. Then there was the fact that Dad was still feeling a lot of guilt over Mum's death. But Mum had known what her husband did so surely she knew the risks unlike us Rider children.

No wonder Dad could shoot as well as he could. It had probably saved his life on countless of occasions. And taken a lot of other people's lives. He was only teaching us to shoot to protect us. He had practically told me that he shot people who weren't thieves. I just didn't want to here it. I supposed I had been almost painfully naive to what Dad really did. I had been scared of the ease that Dad could shoot and given the legend surrounding Cub I felt I had good reason to be scared of my father.

Mum had told us several times that my Dad had to solve every mystery uncover every truth and I knew first hand how impossible it was to hide things from Dad. Why did none of this make sense to me? It was so painfully obvious. Well you know what they say about hindsight. I had never even known that Dad was as obsessed with mysteries as I was. The only mysteries I had seen him solve were TV detective show which he always managed to work out before everyone else. Well no bloody wonder considering he solved real life issues.

Dad had taught us everything that he could about surviving his world. Most parents said that people didn't like it when people were arrogant. Dad had told us that it could kill us. I should have realized something was up with that but I didn't want to so I didn't. I wondered how much I had missed about Dad. Apparently quite a lot all things considered. It was even Dad who decided to teach us Karate (only paying for lessons when he wasn't around). I sighed saddened by the fact that I was so blind to my Dad.

Then there was the fact when we were being talked to about Cub by the others who had just met Cub they had told us that he didn't bother with legal moves. Well that was the same as Dad. There were so many things that had happened since I had come here even being told that I was almost as good as Dad. Everyone could see that I was Cub's son but me. Did the sergeant and Eagle know that my father was the legendary Cub? They didn't appear to but I didn't know anymore everything was so confusing.

Dad's constant emotionless expressions made a lot of sense. Okay I knew that he could show his emotions when he wanted to but he didn't often. I had learned at an early age how to read my dad even if I often failed at that. This all came from spending a lifetime on the front line of spying. I wondered how high up Dad was. Polar Bear had said that Cub was the best. But how good was the best? There was only one thing that could ever make Dad show his emotions clearly and that were times when the subject of Mum was brought up.

Then there was the fact that Dad hated new people even children within his house without any warning. This was the reason we didn't have cleaners or babysitters. The way Dad's eyes flickered around the room judging everything. I knew what Dad expected now. I knew he'd been shot before but he had told me that it was in a bank robbery gone wrong. That was just another lie in what seemed to be nothing but lies. Were all spies like this? Mistrustful; seeing conspiracy and murder everywhere or was that just my Dad.

I thought of what had happened to Nelly's older boyfriend who it seemed no where would offer him a place at University or College or even so much as a part time job. With what the sergeant had said about how high up Dad was in MI6 I had a feeling that Dad had got creative with his punishment. I had a feeling that p*****g off Dad was unwise whether you were a terrorist, a soldier or a civilian. I was so glad that I was Dad's son rather than his enemy. But at least it had only happened once although Nelly was the only one to get her heart broken.

The rest of us were the heart breakers. I had a string of female associates who I never had more than one night with. Then there was Helen who found all the boys too immature for her liking. I wondered when that would change. Jackie just didn't seem to be interested in relationships. Jackie was a career girl I had always thought. Ian was the one who like Dad had a long term girlfriend since high school. Kelly her name was and she was beautiful; dark, long legged with large brown eyes. If she wasn't Ian's girl I'd not say no.

When I had asked how a banker had got hold of a gun. Dad had said that they didn't give bankers gun. If that wasn't an admission that Dad wasn't a banker I didn't know what was. It was all so obvious I felt dumb for not realizing it. The hard bitten look that I had witnessed on more than one occasion lurking in Dad's eyes was not of being an assassin but the opposite. Dad was a spy and a good one. Eagle had commented that spies knew instinctive firing as well but I had passed it by not believing that my boring Dad could possible be a spy.

I had even compared Dad with some of the older recruits because that's what he was. He had been in the military for thirty years of course he was hard bitten. Dad was a veteran of sorts. I suddenly felt immensely proud to be able to say I was Alex Rider's son which was more than what I had been feeling recently. I was suddenly glad of the security systems that protected my father against those who would mean him harm. No wonder Nelly had thought it so hilarious when I had suggested that Dad might be an assassin.

It was pretty ironic now that I knew the truth. It had fought that a man who had been a spy since he was fifteen was an assassin. How wrong could I be? Dad was a patriot not a traitor. It exclaimed Dad's similar routine to that of army life. I never even knew Dad could fight but by what I had heard Dad could fight and fight well. But he had been in MI6 for thirty years he'd have to fight. And I knew he was a good teacher but it sounded like he was kinder at teaching us than SAS men. But the SAS men apart from me weren't Cub's children.

I looked around at the other recruits who seemed in awe at such a legendary spy as my father. I was the only one who didn't look like they had just met the Queen. I was the one who was glaring at my father. Polar Bear wasn't wearing his usual glower and Pigeon wasn't sneering at everything. There was a silence out of awe or fear I didn't know. Dad was giving off a distinctively dangerous vibe. But I wasn't scare of him to me he was just Dad even if I had found out the truth about him. Dad seemed calm and was smirking in the sergeant's direction with Eagle hanging behind him.

"Have you been scaring the newbies again, Wolfie?" Dad asked and I suspected I was the only one who could hear the laugh in his voice.


	13. Why You Don't Lie to a Tiger

13. Why You Don't Lie to a Tiger

Dad was giving me a_we'll talk later_ look. He obviously didn't want his reputation ruined by the fact that the fearsome Cub was actually a devoted father. But I found I didn't care. I was angry, angrier than I had ever been in my life. I wanted answers. I wanted my damn father to once tell me the truth. I wanted the lies that surrounded my life to be gone. I found myself standing up and I was shaking with fury. I felt everyone with their eyes on the back of my head. But I found I didn't care, not one bit.

"Tiger,'" growled Polar Bear, "Get down. You'll get us all in trouble."

I knew that but at this moment I couldn't care less about what my disrespect would cause me. I had heard that Dad's punishments were pretty bad but Dad had brought me up so I wasn't scared of him. I wasn't even scared of the sergeant at this moment. Pigeon was once more sneering at me. Did I tell you that I hated that soldier? Bat seemed to be glancing between me and Dad. Had he worked it out? Dog was just gobsmacked as were the rest of the soldiers. The sergeant looked furious at my behavior.

"Tiger," the sergeant snarled. "Sit down and listen to your superiors or you will be binned after completing whatever punishment Cub and I feel like assigning you."

"Wolf," Dad said quietly. "Maybe we should take this outside Tiger."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Tiger, you will do as Cub commands," Wolf said angrily.

Everyone else was backing away from us fast obviously not wanting to get punished with us. But I couldn't care less if this got me binned. I had some choice words to say to my dearest father, things that I had to get off my chest. I knew that Dad wouldn't like them but quite honestly I didn't care. Polar Bear seemed to be getting angrier and angrier at me by the second. I guessed that whatever friendship we previously had would be vanished by the time I had finished arguing with my damnable father.

"Or what?" I demanded.

"Tiger please calmly sit down," Dad said.

Dad suddenly no longer looked like the cold, hard agent that he had been two seconds before. I could tell everyone else had noticed and were shocked at the change in his behavior. But I noticed even whilst trying to calm me down Dad still kept in character still refused to call me by the name he had named me; the name of the father who had died in a plane crash when he was just three months old. Was Dad ashamed of me I wondered? Is that why he didn't want anyone to know that I was his son?

"Still calling me Tiger?" I shouted. "That's not my name. You know my name!"

"They know each other," whispered Swan obviously.

"Obviously," retorted Lion.

"How?" asked the black member of F Unit.

Dad ignored them his brown eyes boring into my blue ones, "I don't want you binned because of me. You're a good soldier."

"Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere," I cried. "You lied to me!"

"He is a spy," muttered Spider.

"You two know each other?" asked Eagle.

"Did he teach you?" asked Wolf.

"No wonder he's so good if the Cub taught him," added Terrier.

All of this was doing my head in. I was still on my feet glowering at my father. Dad seemed perfectly calm about all the shouting as though he did this every day. God, bloody Alex Rider who had to be a spy who wouldn't even tell his own son the truth. How I hated these lies. There was a reason I no longer wanted to be a spy. I was a soldier I dwelled in the realms of truth and reality. All these lies angered me. I just wanted them to end. Dad seemed to be deliberating what to say before settling on the truth or I think it's the truth.

"Tiger," he said still using my codename. "It's my job to lie to everyone."

"Even family?" I demanded angrily.

"Maybe their partners," whispered D Unit's leader very audibly.

Dad and I made the same disgusted expressions at precisely the same time. Dad was my Dad the idea of Dad being with anyone apart from my Mum was abhorrent. But to suggest that we had been together in that way was disgusting. But luckily no one but D Unit's leader seemed to think that mainly because we didn't give off romantic vibes. No we were quite clearly no together, together. But there were several looks of understanding from some of the people around the hall when I had said family they had looked at us and put it together.

"Oh," breathed Wolf.

"Even family," Dad replied seriously.

"You knew I would find out here," I pointed out.

"I had planned to tell you before hand but things …" he trailed off. "Things got away from me."

"Got away from you?" I demanded.

"Indeed," Dad said heavily.

"I thought I knew you, Dad but it turns out it's been nothing but lies!" I said.

I saw Dad flinch at my words. There was shocked here was the calm, hard notorious Cub flinching at a few words. There were also looks of shock all about when I had announced to everyone that I was "The Great Cub's" son. Polar Bear had blinked quite a few times and Pigeon had for once forgotten to sneer. If it had been any other situation I would have taken that as a win. But right at this moment I was simply furious at the lies that I had been told all my life. Why had I been lied to? Dad seemed to be thinking of an answer whilst the others gaped at the situation.

"Cub has a son," Eagle sounded surprise. "But he's Cub."

"Please, Eagle," Dad said. "Not now."

"You should have told him," Wolf agreed.

"I know Wolf, trust me I know," sighed Dad.

"They do look alike," Adder said.

"Makes sense," muttered Swan, "Seems I'm not the only child of K Unit to come here."

"Maybe you should calm down, Tiger," Dog told me gently.

"Calm down? Calm down? You want me to calm down? I demanded harshly. "I've been lied to all my life!"

"Tiger," Dad said. "You're not a child so could you please stop acting like one."

"Why should I?" I said childishly.

"Because you're an SAS soldier not a school brat," growled the sergeant.

"I don't care," I said.

I then stormed off outside so very angry with my father. I ran and ran and ran. Somehow I found myself at the shooting hut. I snatched up a gun and put on the goggles and began to fire and fire until I ran out of bullets. I then reloaded and did the same. I did this over and over again crying my eyes out into the rain. Nobody came, nobody bother me and for that I was glad. I didn't want to have to face anyone especially my father. I knew what I had said was hurtful but I needed to say it. I just needed to.

"Shooting helps, doesn't it?" said a familiar voice.

I turned around to see the shape of my father leaning against the hut looking calm and quite sad. I knew it was what I had said that had caused Dad to look like this but I didn't regret it. Not for one second. I had said what I felt needed to be said and to be damn with the consequences. This was why I would make a damn awful spy. I was far too emotional unlike some spies. I suspected Ian and Nelly would make decent spies. Actually so would Jackie but she was happy in the police force. I looked at Dad who was wearing his emotionless mask.

The mask that now I associated with Dad being a spy. The face that represented all the lies the man had ever told me. And that amounted to a lot over the years. The mask Dad was wearing was to protect him I knew but apparently not from my anger because it made me angrier than ever. But now that Dad was here I couldn't continue shooting like I had been two seconds ago. And I couldn't run forever. I stood facing Dad neither of us saying anything; the silence stretching awkwardly between us.

"How long have you been there?" I demanded angrily.

"Long enough," Dad answered.

"Give me a straight answer for once in your life," I said angrily. "I've had enough of the lies, the half truths and the avoidance. I've just had enough," my voice cracked embarrassingly.

Dad sighed, "I wouldn't be very good at my job if I didn't lie. Now would I?" Dad responded.

"To hell with your job," I said angrily.

Dad sighed sadly, "I've been doing this for a long time, John," he said finally.

"Finally consent to calling me by my name," I growled, "The name that you chose!"

"Back there I couldn't," Dad sighed. "It is not a good idea for a soldier to give away his details even to his comrades."

"We're allies," I growled.

"Have you ever heard of turncoats?" Dad asked drily.

"Is there anyone you do trust?" I growled.

"Ben, Tamara," Dad began.

"But not your own children," I said angrily.

"I was about to say Carrie and my children," Dad said calmly.

"Then why didn't you tell us?" I demanded.

"I didn't want to put you in danger for simply knowing too much," Dad said. "The same happened to your mother and we know the result of that."

"It wasn't a nutter?" I asked.

"No," Dad sighed.

"So you lied to me about that too," I shouted.

"Yes," Dad said.

"What kind of sick bastard lies to their own child about the way their mother was killed," I demanded.

"A sick bastard who wants their child safe," Dad said harshly. "All I've ever done is want you safe and loved. I know what you're going through right now."

"Yeah, right," I snorted.

"Your feeling betrayed. Your feeling like your whole life is a lie. You feel that you don't know me so can't love me. Your feeling that I didn't trust you so you can't love me. You know longer trust or believe in me. You wish I had told you before. You wish that you didn't know now. Your so lost, confused and scared," Dad said.

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

"Because I went through the same thing," Dad said.

"What?" I asked gobsmacked.

"My Uncle was a spy too," Dad said. "But you have something I didn't."

"What?" I demanded.

I'm still alive to talk to," Dad said. "When I found out the truth I wished more than anything that Ian had spoken to me before he died about the truth; that we could have just one honest conversation. Please let me tell you my story."

I thought for a second then, "Okay," I said as gruff as Polar Bear could be.


	14. Cub Explains

14. Cub Explains

'Okay so start explaining,' I ordered when Dad didn't look like he was going to explain.

'You know that when I was fourteen your Great Uncle Ian died,' Dad began.

'In a car crash,' I scowled.

'No,' Dad said. 'That's what I was told but it wasn't the truth.'

'Then how did he die?' I asked curious despite myself.

'He was shot,' my Dad said a bit hollowly.

'You said he was a spy right,' I said.

'Precisely,' Dad nodded, 'Anyway I'd been told it was because he wasn't wearing a seat belt,' Dad said.

'And you didn't believe them?' I asked.

Dad shook his head, 'Ian was obsessed with some things like seatbelts. I knew he would never, not wear his seatbelt.'

'What did you do?' I asked. 'Go to the police?'

'It was the Police that were lying to me,' Dad replied.

'So then what?' I asked.

'Well at the time several other odd things happened,' Dad began.

'Like what?' I asked.

'A banker with a gun,' Alex said.

'The bank?' I asked.

'Our cover for MI6,' Dad explained. 'Then all of Ian's work stuff was stolen. I was distracted in school but my teachers gave me leeway because of my uncle's death. I then decided to go and see the car just to prove to myself that I wasn't being lied to. The car was in a breakers yard. I wasn't sure which one until I found one with the same name as the people who stolen Ian's stuff. I then broke into a breakers yard saw bullet holes all over the car and realised that there was some cover up going on. Almost got killed by car crusher too,' Dad added almost as an afterthought.

'You almost got killed by a car crusher,' I said looking faintly ill.

'I know,' Dad said shaking his head.

'How?' I asked.

'I hid in Ian's car well that went a bit wrong,' Dad shook his head.

'A bit?' I asked weakly.

'I've had closer calls,' I said calmly.

I groaned, 'how did you get out?' I asked.

'Quick thinking and a lot of luck,' Dad said, 'as always. Well after that I was terrified. I still had no idea what was going on or why Ian had been killed. I have to say I was in way over my head. I blamed the bankers who carried guns. Now here's another bit as I was escaping the breaker's yard one of the men I'd seen with a gun tried to stop me.'

'He tried to shoot you?' I asked in shock.

Dad shook his head, 'no just stop me but I was scared I had just found out my uncle had been shot and man with a gun came after me and I had almost been killed by a car crusher. I lashed out and knocked him unconscious. This gained me notice by the boss of MI6. I didn't like him,' Dad muttered darkly.

'Wasn't he your boss?' I asked.

'Not by choice,' Dad said in a very dark and dangerous voice. 'Anyway the next day I was asked to come to the bank after school. I was a bit apprehensive but I decided to go. I supposed that I didn't know anything they wouldn't kill me.'

'If they had killed your uncle and you knew there was a cover up wouldn't that give them reason to kill you?' I asked.

'Yes,' Dad agreed. 'But I was a naïve fourteen year old at that point. In a few months I would not be at all. I wanted to go into my uncle's office to find out anything that Ian might have known but they didn't let me in but they did leave me in the office next door. Now I should say that outside each window there was a ledge and connecting the two offices and nice flagpole.'

I groaned, 'I don't like where this is going.'

'I've done far worse in my time, trust me.'

'You must be insane,' I told Dad.

'So Tom and Ben often tell me,' Dad agreed.

'And Aunt Tamara,' I asked.

'Quite as insane as me,' Dad smirked.

'They're spies as well aren't they?' I asked.

'Not Tom but Ben and Tamara yes. We've been on quite a few missions together. Tamara and I even met on a mission. Ben and I met here. We didn't get on much,' Dad admitted.

'Really?' I asked in surprise.

'How would you feel if right now you had some fourteen year old kid trailing after you?' Dad asked.

'Confused,' I said. 'Worried I would be binned for his incompetence.'

'Well that's how they felt,' Dad said. 'We patched our relationship up later though, thankfully. Well after I broke into Ian's office and found files on poison, uranium, and various other things I realised that whatever was going on in that building it was not a bank. As you can guess I had a lot of questions.'

'I would too,' I muttered.

'Yeah well I asked them but unfortunately the guy I asked didn't have the clearance to tell me. That was left to the Head and Deputy Head of MI6,' Dad said. 'I was shot with stun dart. I woke up in another building which I later found was in Wales quite near here actually.'

'And you agreed to work for them,' I said.

Here Dad actually chuckled, 'actually I said they were barmy and I wanted to go home.'

'But?' I asked.

'Here was me an orphan with no family to speak of with the only possible guardian, an American needing a visa,' I said. 'MI6 made it quite clear that they'd destroy my life if I didn't work for them.'

'That's blackmail,' I said.

'Indeed,' Dad agreed.

'Are they still blackmailing you?' I asked.

'Nah,' Dad shook his head. 'They didn't even always have to blackmail me in the first year before I decided to become a full time spy.'

'So what happened?' I asked.

'I trained here only for eleven days mind you but still. Kicked your sergeant out of the plane; that was fun,' Dad laughed.

'You kicked the sergeant out of the plane and you're still alive?' I asked in shock.

'He's nowhere near as scary as he acts,' Dad replied.

'I'll believe that when I see it,' I muttered.

Dad laughed at this, 'that's what I thought until we met when I was fifteen back for some back up training.'

'So what was your mission like?' I asked.

'Well I can't give you any details but it was terrifying, exhilarating, adrenaline pumping all at the same time. I was shot at and killed men. Not with guns but I have been known to be rather creative with killing people,' Dad said.

'And you say that like it's a good thing,' I muttered.

'In my world it is,' Dad said. 'I even met my uncle's killer. He saved my life.'

'Your uncle's killer saved your life?' I asked shocked.

'Yeah he did that a lot,' Dad said. I just gaped. 'Well I saved a lot of lives and then was packed off back to school with barely so much as a thank you. Actually I got told off for accidentally shooting the Prime Minister.'

'You shot the Prime Minister?' I asked shocked.

'Accidentally,' Dad replied. 'I found school dreadfully dull after that.'

'So would I,' I admitted.

'And my friends knew I was lying to them but didn't know what. They tried to get me to tell them the truth and over time we drifted apart,' Dad sighed.

'That must have been hard,' I said (I was Mr Popular in school).

'Very,' Dad agreed. 'I got so bored that one day I got in trouble with the police.'

'What did you do?' I demanded.

'Dropped a boat containing two drug dealers into a police conference,' Dad said straight faced. 'You're not serious?' I asked.

'Deadly,' Dad said.

'You must have some death wish,' I said.

Dad laughed, 'well I am a spy. Well I was sent on another mission. I saved the world and was packed off to school.'

'Did that happen all the time?' I asked.

'Until I quit school yes,' Dad replied. 'In the summer I helped a friend from MI6 uncover the truth about what was going on in Wimbledon completely off the record only I managed to anger some Chinese Triads so I was off on another mission to hide me from them. I have to say that my mission was worse than the Triads.'

'Worse?' I asked. 'How worse?' I asked nervously.

'Much worse,' Dad said grimly, 'a nuke.'

'Oh my,' I said.

'Quite,' Dad agreed. 'The CIA operatives I worked with were killed at this time. Next I was holidaying with a girl called Sabina we fancied each other.'

'Nothing came of it?' I asked.

'She ran away to America when she found out what I was,' Dad said. 'That hurt a lot.'

'She broke your heart,' I said.

'First loves,' Dad shook his head. 'It took your mother a long time to convince me that she wanted to be with me despite all the dangers that I came with. And what I feared happened,' Dad sighed.

'So Sabina?' I asked.

'Her Dad was a journalist,' Dad explained, 'angered the wrong people and got blown up by none other than Ian's killer. I went in search for vengeance for her without MI6's backing.'

'Why?' I asked.

'The person I suspected was behind it all had friends in high places including the Queen, Prime Minister and American President,' Dad explained.

'So you went alone?' I asked.

'With Jack,' Dad agreed. 'We came home with a flash drive when I realised that Sabina had been kidnapped. We'd fallen out.'

'Why?' I asked.

'She didn't believe that I was a spy,' Dad said.

I nodded, 'when she was kidnapped what did you do?'

'Brought the flash drive to the criminal,' Dad explained. 'The assassin told me he'd been trained by my dad as he was dying. I joined a terrorist organisation and trained to be an assassin.'

My eyes went wide, 'is that where you learned instinctive firing?' I asked.

'Yes,' Dad said. 'Well I switched back to MI6 and found that Dad was really an undercover operative for MI6. The terrorist organisation he had infiltrated killed both mum and dad.'

'I'm sorry,' I said.

'Don't it was my turncoat of a godfather who killed them,' Dad said harshly. 'Ben killed him for me well for the mission that we went on together.'

'Is that where you re-met?' I asked.

'I'd met Tamara beforehand as well when I went to outer space,' Dad said calmly.

'You've been to outer space?' I said sure my eyes were all bug eyed.

'Only once,' Dad said. 'Things continued like that until my school was shot at. Jack died soon after and I joined MI6 as soon as the old boss had left. I liked the new boss. And that was that. I met your mother we got married had you guys. She got killed by some terrorists I had pissed off.'

'What really happened to the gunmen?' I asked.

'I killed them,' Dad said in such a casual way it made me shudder.


	15. So Your Cub's Son

15. So Your Cub's Son

'So you wanna go back,' Dad asked me. 'My lesson has been postponed to after dinner,' Dad told me.

'But we never have anything after dinner,' I said.

'Only in the first week,' Dad told me. 'Then you have night exercises or all day exercises. They're always a nightmare.'

'I wish you could have told me before you left,' I said.

'That would probably have been wiser,' agreed Dad. 'But I did honestly think that I would be back before then.'

'What were you doing in Saudi Arabia anyway?' I asked.

Dad smiled sadly at me, 'you know I can't tell you that.'

I sighed, I realised how much of Dad's life had been devoted to secrets. It was way over half his life. I didn't fully understand my father's way of thinking or his way of life but I would accept it. I was going to walk back to my hut but Dad was walking over to the targets I had been shooting out in my anger at Dad. I watched him with a frown not understanding what he was doing. I thought I was beginning to understand my father but I still didn't, not really. I wondered if anyone ever had or ever would understand the once teenage spy.

'Dad what are you doing?' I called out.

'Checking your score,' Dad replied.

'Do you have to?' I moaned.

I knew that although I seemed to be one of the best (if not the best) shooter amongst us recruits. Certainly I was the best out of my group. I was nowhere near as good as my father. But then again Dad had, well I didn't know when he had learnt to shoot. He started teaching us when we were seventeen but he had been a spy since he was fourteen. Had he learned to shoot when he first came here at the age of fourteen? The idea of a fourteen year old with a gun made me shiver slightly. It was unnatural for a child to be in this world.

I could understand why Uncle Ben, the sergeant and Eagle treated him rough the first time around. They too were probably unsure how to act around a child soldier. It wasn't a game. It wasn't child's play. It wasn't like in the movies. This was real life and death situations. I knew that no child should ever be in this world. Yet Dad had survived it and made his name that soldiers thirty years on still knew even if they had no idea exactly how young "Cub" had been when he first came here. I wondered what they'd say if they knew.

'I am here to help you train as well as look for new recruits,' Dad had told me. 'What kind of instructor would I be if I didn't help you shoot?' Dad had asked me.

'Dad how old were you when you learnt to shoot?' I asked.

'Fourteen,' Dad said.

'You mean MI6 taught you how to shoot?' I asked in shock.

Dad shook his head, 'you remember when I told you that I ran away from a school trip to join a terrorist organisation.'

'Yeah,' I said hesitantly.

'Well they taught me how to shoot,' Dad said casually, 'sent me to kill someone as well.'

I gulped, 'did you?' I asked.

'Kill someone?' Dad asked and I nodded. 'No,' Dad said calmly.

'Why?' I asked.

'I couldn't do it,' Dad admitted. 'At that point I couldn't kill someone in cold blood. It was only when Jack was murdered before my eyes that I killed one of those responsible.'

'Why did they kill her?' I asked. 'What was the point?'

'The point?' Dad gave a harsh and incredibly bitter laugh that sounded wrong to me coming out of my loving father's mouth. 'Was to torture me,' Dad said simply. 'He had been told he couldn't harm me in anyway physically so he tortured me mentally.'

'Sick bastard,' I said.

'He died soon after as well,' Dad said.

'How?' I asked.

'I left him to drown in salt,' Dad said.

'Oh,' was all I said.

'You did very well but you need to remember that the gun and you aren't separate entities. You are one. Never forget that because on the field that could be the difference between life and death.'

'I know Dad,' I rolled my eyes.

'Don't you roll your eyes at me young man. Just because your twenty three doesn't mean I can't still ground you,' Dad warned.

'Dad,' I laughed.

'Come on let's get going,' Dad said. 'Put away the guns first though.'

'Yes Dad,' I said.

I felt much like a young child was being told to put my toys away. The way Dad had said it. And from the way Dad was smirking at me he knew it too. Dad had one twisted sense of humour I realised. Well Dad had a very twisted life full stop. I took the gun apart and put its bits back in the proper places. The two of us walked in companionable silence back to where the others were surely relaxing with their free afternoon time. Not all of us had a massive bombshell dropped on us by our spy of a father.

'Dad does Nelly know?' I asked.

Dad nodded, 'yeah,' Dad said sadly.

'Why did you tell her and not me?' I asked.

'I didn't tell her,' Dad said sadly.

'But she knows,' I said.

'Well okay I did tell her but only after we were shot at,' Dad said. I stared. 'You lot were all revising and Ian was at Rugby,' Dad explained. 'Then some enemies hunted us down. I hotwired a car and there was a car chase. I believe Nelly was under the impression I was in some sort of gang.'

'Better than mine,' I said.

'Oh yes Nelly told me that,' Dad smiled. 'You were close. I have trained with assassins and I do kill people but only for Queen and country.'

I rolled my eyes, 'I can see why Nelly laughed at me now.'

'Oh she would,' Dad then sighed, 'she wants to take after me and I know with Ian's skills at hacking people have an eye on him. With the Rider name some of you were going to end up in MI6.'

'Don't you want us to?' I asked.

'It's a very dirty and dangerous job,' Dad said. 'Not everyone comes home.'

'That's the same with the SAS,' I said.

'Spying is more dangerous,' Dad said. 'In the SAS you have back up and your unit. If you're a spy you have yourself, your guts, and your intelligence. Sometimes depending on how high profile the mission is you have back up or partners but not always. We're very lucky actually that out of Tamara, Ben and I we've all survived.'

'Really?' I asked.

'Oh yes,' Dad said grimly. 'I'm up for being the Head in a few years once I retire off active duty. I have no idea how I'd handle having to send you into combat.'

'Out of what you have seen who would you recruit for MI6?' I asked.

'Not you,' Dad admitted, 'and not because you're my son. You wear your heart on yourself, very dangerous for a spy to do. Let's see out of the units I did this morning I'd say all of C Unit would be able to at least go for testing.'

'Spies have tests?' I asked.

'Oh yes,' Dad said. 'I didn't take them because I was an exceptional circumstance.'

'What do you need to do for the tests?' I asked.

'Hacking, fighting, languages, shooting, poisons, lying, infiltration and stuff along those lines,' Dad said. 'Some of it is not dissimilar to SAS training which is why we put our new recruits through that first.'

'So who else would you say?' I asked. 'Anyone from my unit?'

'I haven't seen much of your Unit so I really can't say,' Dad told me. 'Polar Bear is guarded enough and Bat is quick enough. But those skills on their own aren't enough.'

'How do you know all their names already?' I asked, 'even I don't know all their names.'

'I have their files,' Dad said. 'I know their backgrounds, skills, histories, families, codenames and real names.'

'Oh?' I said. 'What about Pigeon?' I asked grimacing.

'You don't like him,' Dad said.

'He did knock me unconscious,' I grumbled.

'True,' Dad said. 'He's trying to prove himself even if he is going about it the wrong way. Polar Bear's way is much better.'

'So he's been here before?' I asked.

'Did I say that?' Dad asked cheekily.

'You didn't have to, Dad,' I rolled my eyes. 'I know you.'

We had just come back into camp when I saw Eagle and the sergeant waiting for us. I felt nervous. Was I going to be punished? I had stood up to a senior member of MI6. Even if that said member was my own father. I had also ignored my sergeant's instructions and my Unit leader's. I had then run out of a seminar causing it to be cancelled when the instructor left to find me. I hoped all this fuss wouldn't lead me to being binned. I looked towards Dad hoping that he would help me out. He owed me that much at least considering it was his fault in the first place.

'Dad will I get binned for this?' I asked.

'No,' Dad said harshly. 'I'll make sure of it. Plus Wolf's not as bad as he makes out once you get to know him.'

'If you say so,' I said unconvinced.

'So your Cub's son,' Wolf said. 'Makes sense.'

'What makes sense, sergeant?' I asked.

'Your skills,' Eagle said. 'I take it Cub's been teaching you.'

'Of course,' Cub said, 'any child of mine is a danger magnet.'

'Still can't believe that our little Cubbie is a father,' Eagle shook his head.

'That's because you still think I'm fifteen,' retorted Dad.

'Really?' I asked sceptically.

'Really,' grinned Dad. 'I hope that there'll be no punishment for this considering if I had told him the truth it wouldn't have happened.'

Wolf nodded, 'though people are going to look at you differently now that they know who your father is.'

'Yes sergeant,' I said.

'Are we going to loose you to MI6, too?' asked Eagle with a grin.

'He doesn't really have the spy mentality,' Dad said, 'he's too open.'

'Unlike some blondes we know,' laughed Eagle.

'Dismissed soldier,' Wolf said.

I clapped a hand to my head in a salute then walked off back to my cabin knowing that there would be a barrage of questions from Dog and Bat waiting for me. I wasn't eager for that reunion. I wondered what Polar Bear would say. I knew that Dad was the person he respected most in the camp so he would most likely want to know about him but at the same time Polar Bear just didn't like talking to people. I sighed there was no point in delaying this any longer. I felt like I was walking to my execution as I entered my cabin.


	16. What's it Like Being Cub's Son

16. What's it Like Being Cub's Son

'Hey,' I said nervously.

'Where have you been?' growled Polar Bear.

'Nice to see you too,' I muttered. 'I was talking to Dad.'

'He does care for you,' Bat said.

'I know,' I sighed. 'He was only trying to protect me.'

'What's it like being Cub's son?' asked Bat.

'Dunno,' I admitted. 'I can't believe he never told me.'

'Fathers,' snorted Bat.

'Tell me about it,' I agreed.

'What about your mother?' asked Bat.

I flinched at this, 'to get at Dad. He still blames himself.'

'He would,' Dog agreed with a sigh.

'Cub's lesson is cancelled,' growled Polar Bear.

'We're getting it after dinner,' I said. 'Dad told me after I've stopped shouting.'

'Binned?' asked Polar Bear.

I shook my head, 'Dad said that I shouldn't be binned for this.'

'I hope he doesn't employ favouritism,' growled Polar Bear.

'You obviously don't know my father,' I laughed. 'He certainly doesn't think I'm spy material apparently I'm too emotional.'

Polar Bear snorted at this, 'really?'

'And here I was thinking someone else screamed abuse at their father,' laughed Dog.

'What was it again?' asked Bat with a grin. 'Oh yeah "Calm down? Calm down? You want me to calm down? I've been lied to all my life!"' laughed Bat.

'It sounds worse when you say it like that,' I muttered.

'I don't think there was a good way to make your rant sound good,' Dog told him.

'You're so kind,' I scowled.

'And your emotional,' retorted Dog.

'How would you feel if your whole life turned out to be a lie?' I demanded.

'Stop being so melodramatic,' growled Polar Bear.

'Where did you run off to?' asked Bat.

'The shooting zone,' I replied. 'I wonder how Dad knew to find me there,' I murmured.

'Well he is Cub,' Polar Bear said.

'I wish you lot would stop looking up to my Dad like he's some sort of God,' I said. 'You have no idea how strange that feels.'

'You're as good as him,' Dog said kindly.

'I'm really not,' I shook my head. 'I'm the best fighter in my family but its Ian and Nelly who are the secret keepers. Dad says his bosses are rather keen to get their hands on Ian for his hacking skills.'

'Your brothers a hacker?' asked Bat interested.

'I know how to hack,' I said. 'I'm just not as good as Ian is. Nelly's just manipulative,' I laughed. 'She can make you believe butter wouldn't melt in her mouth whilst beating on you. She never leaves any evidence that she's been up to good. She's the best one to have if you want to get away with stuff. Well it doesn't work on Dad but she's such a Daddy's girl he doesn't care much anyway.'

'I still can't believe that Cub can be both the heartless spy and devoted father,' Polar Bear said.

'I can't believe he's a spy,' I shook my head. 'I thought that he was an assassin before.'

Dog laughed here, 'a bit wrong there.'

'Just a little yeah,' I smiled.

'Let's go to lunch,' Dog said.

I groaned, 'what's everyone going to say.'

'I'm sure they'll be fine,' smiled Dog.

'Probably ask you lot's of questions,' warned Bat.

'That's what worries me,' I muttered.

We arrived at the Mess Hall at the last possible minute that could still be said we were on time. I took a breath and walked in. Wolf, Dad and Eagle saw us in and headed back to the sergeant's cabin. We were being trusted to eat without causing any trouble. There was a silence amongst our comrades as the four us entered. All the soldiers were looking at me obviously bursting to ask me questions about Dad. I got my food and sat down at our usual table and busied myself with food hoping that people would ignore me but to no avail.

'Is he going to treat you specially?' asked Lion. 'I heard he's a right bastard of a teacher.'

'But he was nice to you,' added one of M Unit obviously jealous.

'He had a lot of explaining to do,' I retorted.

'I'll bet,' muttered Stag darkly.

'Don't think we're going to get down on bended knee because of who your father is,' frowned Adder.

'Good,' I retorted. 'I don't want any favouritism for my family.'

'You won't be,' Swan said. 'My Uncle would never allow it.'

'Your Uncle?' asked Bat.

'The sergeant,' replied Swan.

'Good,' growled Polar Bear.

'I think you'll do fine without your father,' added Spider.

'Well Dad did teach me,' I said.

'That explains a lot,' muttered the blonde from R Unit.

'Who cares if his father's Cub,' said one of A Unit. 'He's here for himself. The sergeant didn't even know he was Cub's son.'

'Thank you,' I said.

'He's good,' added one of F Unit.

'That he is,' agreed Lynx.

'Don't we need to be getting to field,' added Lizard.

'I hate the 5 K run,' groaned Bear.

'Doesn't everyone?' asked Rat.

'Too true,' agreed one of M Unit.

'Its stamina building,' growled Polar Bear.

'That's what you say about everything,' muttered Bat.

Then Polar Bear fixed Bat with his infamous glare. Bat, naturally, shut up. I rolled my eyes and decided that with my team mates arguing I'd get up and head off to field. Polar Bear followed me obviously wanting to leave behind Bat. I personally thought that they were both as bad as each other. Not that I'd tell either of them that; Polar Bear would never talk to me again and Bat would tell Polar Bear resulting in Polar Bear never talking to me again. I wondered if they both got through selection would they survive being on the same team?

'Idiot,' growled Polar Bear.

'Mm,' I said.

'Will Cub be there?' growled Polar Bear.

'Dunno,' I shrugged. 'He never said.'

**Okay I'm not sure whether I should do some more training until Alex leaves, bring Ben and Tamara in or just go straight to the epilogue. **


	17. Getting on the Wrong Side of Cub

17. Getting on the Wrong Side Cub

We were running the 5 kilometre. I was rather disappointed. At school I had won all the races from primary sports day to cross country run. But now there were several who were faster than me including Lizard, Saber, a member of D Unit, Hound, Mole, Rat and another member of R Unit. But who really surprised me was my father. I knew that Dad had kept himself fit and had brilliant stamina and insisted on us keeping up with physical activity. Now I understood why but what really shocked me was the fact that Dad was faster than us all.

'Come on, your supposed to be the young ones,' Dad laughed, 'in your twenties some of you. I'm forty-four. Your grannies could run faster than that.'

I groaned. Just typical; the five kilometre run was hard enough without my own bleeding father showing me up in front of everyone. Didn't he know what great a weight I had to live up to? I thought he looked much younger than forty four maybe mid thirties. Dad certainly aged well but I supposed that at least part of it was due to dad's physical upkeep and nutrition. If I did the same with my genetics I would most likely be the same. By the time we were done Dad had already finished half an hour before.

I had come in ninth place including Dad which out of the thirty seven us wasn't too bad. Dad of course had come in first place looking the same as if anyone else had run a hundred metres. I supposed Dad had been doing this since he was a teenager he must be very used to it. I was still the fastest in my unit which was unsurprising considering Polar Bear had come second last. Dad seemed mildly disappointed in him. That was when I remembered what Dad had said about Polar Bear being a possible spy.

Polar Bear himself was glaring at everything obviously angry at how badly he had done. He was especially glowering at Bat who had done fairly well coming in eleventh place. Dad seemed to be pleased with him. Bat was another of my team who was a possible spy in Dad's book. The others were D Unit; the blonde had come in fourth place a point that Dad had nodded to him about, Bird however had come in twentieth, the other two had come in the last ten places. I looked for Dog who had come pretty low as well.

It seemed that it was Bat and I who were the only ones who could run in our unit. Dad was looking around frowning at us with the Sergeant. They obviously weren't happy with our timings when a forty four year old man could beat us. I didn't blame them about that. We should have the physical to beat the older generation but we didn't have the endurance born of life in the SAS (well in MI6 in Dad's case). Wolf and Cub glanced at each other. Cub nodded. I felt nervous I knew that look only to well.

It was the look that Dad would give us before he doled out punishments for one thing or another. I remembered when I was thirteen and had lost my temper at Ian who had been just turning ten. I was having a temper tantrum because I was unable to go to Venice because Dad had something against that city. Lord knows what. He always acted like it was a really dangerous place when it was supposed to be one of the most beautiful and romantic cities on the planet. Not that I cared about that.

'_John,' Dad had said. 'You are not going to Venice and that's the end of it,' Dad had said calmly._

'_Why not!' I had demanded._

'_Because I don't think it's a suitable place for you to go,' Dad had told me._

'_I'm not going to drown,' I retorted._

_Dad's eyes flickered with amusement for some reason at the mention of drowning in the Venetian canals. But that was just Dad for you _(I now wondered considering Dad's job if he had ever almost drowned in the canals of Venice)_. He had a completely odd sense of humour. But right now I was furious that my father was preventing me from going to Venice with everyone else. What did he have against Venice anyway? I glared at my father's annoyingly amused expression that refused to feel pity for my plight._

'_Everyone else is going,' I glared._

'_Jake's not,' Dad said._

'_Only because Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara say no,' I scowled. 'What do you have against Venice anyway?' I demanded._

'_Nothing,' sighed Dad._

'_You and Tom went when you were my age,' I said. 'Tom showed me the pictures.'_

_Dad seemed to be regarding me shrewdly, 'John no.'_

_I was furious at Dad for this. Why did parents always have to act like they knew everything? If mum had been there she would have let me come. I was so angry that I had then (rather stupidly) slammed a fist onto the oak table. My blue eyes had then watered and I could see the blood on my first and the table where I had cracked my knuckles. That wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had. But I refused to let it show that I was in pain. Dad seemed to notice the pain because he pulled my hand off the table and inspected it._

'_John,' Dad said reproachfully. 'Hitting the furniture isn't going to make me change my mind only hurt you. Come on I'll get you a plaster.'_

'_I'M NOT THREE!' I had then shouted. 'I DO NOT NEED A PLASTER!'_

'_Then stop acting like it,' Dad has said coolly._

'_Fine,' I snarled._

_I had turned around to storm off out of the kitchen away from Dad, away from home. I was planning to run away to one of my friends' houses until I felt like coming home. Well more probably until Dad decided it was time for me to come home. No matter whose home I ended up in Dad always somehow found out where I was. But this time I was stopped by my brunette ten year old brother. Ian seemed to have been drawn out by the shouting. Ian was always very inquisitive (one of the few things we had in common)._

'_I heard shouting what's going on?' he aksed._

_What happened next no one could predict. I had no idea why I did what I did but I did. I brought my hand out and SLAP! I had hit my little brother. There was a silence as Ian stood blinking a hand shaped red mark on his face seemingly in shock. Then Ian had begun to cry. Later I would feel awful for making Ian cry but at that minute I didn't care. I was just glad that someone was feeling the same pain I was. Then Dad had stood up wearing a furious expression like I had never seen before that terrified me._

'_John Alexander Rider,' Dad had said barely raising his voice above a whisper but looking deadly. 'Go to your room and don't come out until I let you.'_

I had the fled from the kitchen. I saw Dad take Ian into a hug. I didn't want to anger my father anymore so I went up to my room. By the time Dad came up I had calmed down and realised that what I had done was wrong. I had hit Ian. Okay he bugged me but I shouldn't have hit him and I knew that. Unsurprisingly I was not only banned from Venice but I was also forced to help the mad cat lad for the first month of the summer which meant I couldn't go out in the sun much. For an active person like me that was my own personal hell and Dad knew that.

And that was the look he was giving us all now. I looked around and could see the fear on everyone else's faces. A few of the older people who had been here before were obviously waiting for whatever punishment that the sergeant and Dad happened to doll out. I knew I wouldn't get it any easier for being Dad's son. There was a collective silence as we waited for one of the instructors to speak. I was sort of relieved that it was the sergeant to speak not Dad. I knew precisely how cruel his punishments could be.

'I can't believe the lot of you are actually trying to pass for SAS soldiers,' growled the sergeant. 'And I have to create five units out of you,' he sounded disgruntled.

'When I first came here I could run quicker than some of you,' Dad added. 'And I was a teenager.'

'Disgraceful, performance,' growled the sergeant.

'I know there are injuries,' Dad's eyes flickered to Polar Bear. 'But that does not excuse you in the slightest. If your injuries are unable to make you run you should pack you bags and go home. If you are unable to run on the field then you will die. And I do not send doomed souls onto the field of battle.'

'Yes sir,' we all murmured.

'What was that?' demanded the sergeant.

'Yes sir, yes sergeant,' we all repeated.

'Drop-'began the sergeant.

'No Wolf,' Dad stepped in.

'Have you got a better idea?' asked Wolf with a feral snarl.

'Oh yes,' Dad threw back his head and laughed.

I could have groaned at this. I knew that whatever Dad had planned for us to do was not going to be good. It seemed that my colleagues had this idea too. I was understandably nervous at Dad's punishments. At home Dad's punishments were very varied depending on what we had done. Some of the hardest ones were spending time "volunteering" in old people's homes, helping the batty lady from across the road, painting the garden shed. Not all at once and that was only very rarely normally we just had our favourite things confiscated.

But we were never grounded. Dad didn't agree on grounding children. That was another thing that he didn't have in common with the other parents. Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara were more than happy to ground Jake upon occasion. They may be slightly odd parents but they weren't anywhere as near as insane as Dad. Dad had said something about being locked in your room encouraging idleness or something similar to that. I personally was pleased if I got grounded when Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara were looking after us I got bored out of my mind.

'May I ask what?' asked Wolf.

'Well you know how they say practice makes perfect?' Dad asked.

I could have groaned if it would not be a sign of disrespect so I wisely kept my mouth shut. I could see the dawning looks of horror on my comrades' faces when they realised what Dad was telling us to do. He was going to make us run another five kilometres. Or at least make us run some more. It wasn't so bad considering we had the morning off but we still weren't looking forward to it. Dad was smirking with Wolf with the looks of horror painted on all of our faces. These two were some sadist bastards.

How had I never noticed this side of Dad before? I had always known that Dad had a cruel streak and was terrifying when angry but I would never have thought he would have been purposefully cruel like this. I begged him with my eyes to change his mind. His eyes met mine once. I thought I saw them waver slightly but he shook his head so minutely that I didn't think anyone but Bat and I had noticed. It was then that I knew he was going to make us do another run. I could only pray that it wasn't too long.

'Okay this is what we'll do those who took less time will do less time now,' Dad said.

I was slightly relieved at this considering I wasn't the slowest but nor I was the fastest. I could see that Hound was looking very pleased with himself whereas Polar Bear looked ready to eat anyone who was near or Bat. The rest of us weren't very happy about it but accepted our punishment. I had never thought that I would wish that the sergeant would punish us but I did wish it now. But the sergeant seemed happy to let Dad doll our punishments probably because he was so much harsher that the sergeant was himself.

'Hound, Rat, Saber, and Mole a five minute run. Hawk, Lizard, Kingsnake, Tiger,' Dad's eyes twinkled at me. 'Lion, Spider, and Bat you will run for ten minutes. Dragon and Ox will run for fifteen minutes. Camel – twenty minutes. Cat and Coachwhip – twenty five minutes. Pigeon and Meerkat – thirty minutes. Snow Leopard, Bird, Owl, Badger, Stag and Lynx – thirty five minutes. Raven and Otter – forty minutes. Terrier, Swan, Dog, and Bull – forty five minutes. Boar – fifty minutes. Mouse and Woodpecker – fifty five minutes. Adder, Polar Bear,' here Dad frowned, 'and Crocodile – sixty minutes.

**Please review. Do you want some more chapters or epilogue? Either way is good for me I just don't want to drag it out.**


	18. Tiger Understands

18. Tiger Understands

When we were finally let out after Dad's punishment we ended up going straight to the Mess Hall where we got as much food as possible. Polar Bear seemed to be glaring at me. Actually a lot of my comrades were. I realized when they directed the same animosity at Dad that they were angry at us Riders for out punishment although when shooting annoyed looks at Dad they did it when they _thought_he wasn't looking. Key word thought. I could see by Dad's amused, gloating look that he knew exactly how they were feeling.

Dad just didn't care. I had a feeling that I would get the stick for my father. Mainly because Dad as the legendary Cub, teenaged spy was pretty much untouchable whereas I was in the same boat as them so was easy to direct anger. I just hoped that they'd see that I had no more control over my father than anybody else. The meal ended soon and we all felt much like going back to bed. But unfortunately thanks to my earlier outburst – just another reason for my fellow trainees to hate me – we had counter terrorism.

Well at least it was inside and all we had to sit and listen although looking at the likes of Swan and Terrier they wouldn't be able to concentrate on Dad's lessons being so tired. Dad hated people not listening to him as Ian could attest to so many times. Ian always had his head in a book or programming computer or gaming (when he wasn't doing sporting activities) and often didn't pay attention to what Dad was saying. I remembered once that he hadn't listen to what Dad had said about not coming home after school.

The cab drew up after school that night as it always would if Dad, Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara weren't around. I now guessed that the cab driver was an MI6 employee because Dad would never leave us with a normal cab driver. Dad had all told us that he wasn't going to be around because of work. It was his first work since mum had died. Understandable Ian was a little tearful at being left behind. Jackie and Helen were quiet which was unusual as they were both always fighting for their right to talk.

I had always thought it was a twin thing because they had to compete over everything. Jackie was the competitive tomboy twin who wanted to do what her older brother and younger brother were doing at all times. She fought, she played football, and she never wore dresses! Whilst Helen was the girl who (unless she was really upset) would always be talking about fashion and boys. I felt she had got much better when she neared her exams because now at least she spoke about school work instead.

Nelly was more slightly like Jackie but was closer in both age and friendship to Ian. As children they would do everything together especially after Mum had died. It was only Nelly that would make Ian leave his books and computer. For Nelly it was she who clung to Ian if Dad wasn't around. They kept the close friendship up until this day. I was sure that it was mainly Ian who had beat up Drake. But at that point the five year old had paled dramatically and looked like he was about to cry. Ian had then (for once) clutched at me in a gesture of trust.

"_Where's Daddy?" whispered the six year old._

'"_Didn't you listen for the last week?" I had asked slightly impatiently Ian had always annoyed me._

_Eight year old Helen shot me an annoyed look, "Daddy's working."_

"_Like Mummy-" began Ian._

"_No," I said sharply. "He'll be coming back."_

"_Misters and Misses Riders asked me to take you to Mr and Mrs Hadley's home. Please enter," came the voice of our driver._

We had entered the taxi. Ian rather reluctantly and ended up in Granny and Grandpa's house. None of us were very happy about being left by Dad but luckily it was only a few days before Dad came back. Dad's trips gradually grew longer until he wouldn't be seen for months. This was like what had happened before Mum had died. We gradually got used to it. Ian lost his inability to pay attention when I was fourteen and he was eleven. Dad had given the instructions for the map reading in the wild which he was teaching us but Ian managed to get lost.

Dad had somehow found him. I suspected he had some sort of tracker on him now. Would Dad do that? Of course he would, Dad was as obsessed about spying as he was protecting us. If he didn't have trackers on us he would have someone he trusted following behind us. The rest of us had found our way perfectly. Nelly had been the first. I knew that she was definitely Dad's daughter. Jackie second, I third and Helen fourth. Ian, however, didn't even complete. Dad had found him in tears.

"_Ian," Dad had said softly. "You know with me here I'd never let anything happen to you?"_

"_Uh huh," Ian had replied._

"_So there's nothing to be worried about just now," Dad said._

"_Suppose," Ian didn't sound convinced._

"_Ian," Dad said. "You're my son and I'd never, ever let anything happen to you. I promise. The only reason I'm teaching you this is so that if you ever get lost without me here I want you to be able to find your way back to the house or the police station or one of the families houses depending where you are at the time."_

"_Yes, Dad," Ian murmured._

"_You know Ian if you had listened like the others you'd not have got lost," Dad said. "Books are all well and fine but there's a real world to explore as well. Try to use the knowledge you have gained in your books to work things out in the world."_

"_Yes, Dad," Ian said._

From that day on Ian had never ignored what he was told again. I knew that if any of the soldiers were too tired to listen Dad was likely to make them even more tired by doing press ups or making them going on _another_run. I was just so glad it was hardwired into me to always listen to Dad. Finishing our meal we got up and went to the teaching room. Here Polar Bear and I got into an argument about where we should sit. Normally we were all for being at the front of the lesson at all times.

"I want to sit at the back," I said.

I know that sitting at the front makes a good impression and gains the attention of the instructor. But honestly I didn't want to sit at the front of my own father's lessons. I mean who would? But Polar Bear who was still kind of in awe of my father wanted to impress him despite the poor performance he showed in the run this morning. Bat looked like he agreed with me but was too frightened of Polar Bear to say anything. Dog was once again forced to play peace keeper with us but this time it was with Polar Bear and I.

Normally Polar Bear and I got on really well. Certainly I was the only one who seemed to remain on Polar Bear's good side – well better side. Usually it was Bat who annoyed Polar Bear. The two of them were always arguing, well, more Polar Bear was growling at Bat for being an idiot whilst Bat cowered. Dog seemed to get on with everyone so had to keep Polar Bear from killing Bat. But this time it was Polar Bear and I who were arguing and because I wasn't frightened of Polar Bear like Bat I was giving as good as I got.

"We always sit at the front," growled Polar Bear.

"Why don't we sit in the middle," suggested Dog reasonably.

"Not in Dad's lessons," I hissed back ignoring Dog.

"What are you, twelve?" Polar Bear demanded harshly.

"How would you like it?" I demanded.

Something flashed in Polar Bear's eyes at that comment. Polar Bear then stormed off parting the crowd easily. He slammed his things down on the front desk. I was stubborn as hell and refused to budge from the back. Bat and Dog looked at each other. Bat decided I was a safer bet and sat down beside me. Dog decided to _attempt_to make peace with Polar Bear – not that it would do any good – and sat down beside Polar Bear at the front. The rugged Cat of N Unit sat down beside Bat. Terrier of M Unit sat down beside him.

"Terrier," he introduced himself with a stupid grin.

"Bat," Bat said.

"Tig-" I began.

"Oh, I know who you are," grinned Terrier.

"So who are you?" asked Terrier.

"Who's asking?" demanded Cat.

"He's Cat," I said.

"Who told you that?" demanded Cat.

"I listen to the instructors," I said.

"So do I," added Bat. "But I didn't notice that."

"Must be your father rubbing off on you," Terrier said a bit bitterly.

Then we all fell silent as Dad entered and went up to the stage to stand. He looked completely calmly out at the thirty six of us. He didn't pay me anymore attention than the rest of us. Well he was very professionally. I had already come to realist that. He flicked on the screen where we could all see a picture of Venice. Venice? I realized I was going to understand why Dad, Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara refused to let Jake, Nelly, Ian, Helen, Jackie, and I anywhere near Venice. I looked at Dad who didn't so much as look at me.

"Okay Venice, the city of the romance," Dad said. "Harmless right?" he paused dramatically. "Wrong, just off the cost of Venice is home to one of the most ruthless terrorist organizations in the world."

Well that certainly explained a lot, I thought. It was no wonder that Dad didn't want us anywhere near Venice if he had a lot of enemies there. I no longer wanted to go to Venice. The other school children would probably be okay considering they had no connections to the criminal underworld. He probably was frightened that if we went there we would meet the same fate as Mum. That must be Dad's greatest fear. I thought I understood Dad more than I did before. Dad clicked and another image came up one of a silver scorpion.

"SCORPIA," Dad said, "standing for Sabotage, CORruPtion, Intelligence and Assassination. Thirty years ago they were pretty much wiped out but now the children and grandchildren of the original board members are restarting it. People have forgotten the mess of their reputation that was thirty years ago. I tell you now that SCORPIA are not people to be messed around with. What I have seen them do and try to do is horrific. I am one of their greatest enemies. Remember their motto "SCORPIA never forgives and SCORPIA never forgets". If you piss off SCORPIA, they will kill you and those you care about. They will torture you for information so be careful never to let them know who you are. SCORPIA was originally made up of ex-intelligence agents."

I had a feeling that Dad had angered SCORPIA. How else could he know so much? I had seen the look when he had spoke about killing your family. I knew that he meant Mum. And then there was the fact that SCORPIA had been diminished thirty years ago which was the time that Dad had begun his career in intelligence. I thought about what he had said about his once guardian Jack Starbright being murdered in front of his eyes. Could it be SCORPIA's doing? There was a silence and Dad moved onto his next topic.

"The greatest threat facing intelligence companies all over the world is the Black Market Trade of Uranium," Dad said. "It is much too easy to get your hand on for the right price. It is our job to find the Uranium before bombs are made but it's often not until the bomb is made that we get to it. Then it becomes a matter of diffusing the bombs. You will be taught how soon enough. But considering your SAS it is most likely that your job will be as back up and will be fighting the henchmen and private armies of those with the bomb. You can't go in all hard footed. The wrong move can cause the bomb to go off beforehand. You have to get building plans. Planning is the best way to defeat terrorist threats because you can bet they'll have plans and back up plans and escape plans. If you are unsure what to do with a particular bomb don't try to diffuse it. Get it to someone who actually knows what they are doing."

There were more talks on plans and how to do this and that. But I got the fact that Dad thought that spying was much better than SAS. I could tell this made a lot of my colleagues mad. But nobody said anything – not to Dad. But, I mean, who would Dad was a terrifically terrifying man when he wanted to be.

We were let out and finally allowed to go to our beds. I fell asleep almost at once exhausted by the revelations of the day. It may have made a lot of sense but that didn't mean it was any less shocking.


	19. Polar Bear's Request

19. Polar Bear's Request

The next morning we, once again, woke up at five hundred hours. We were told we were going to be learning how to drive the army jeeps. I had to say that I was incredibly nervous about this. I wasn't able to pass my regular, civilian driving test never mind driving on all terrains. I didn't say as much as I refused to admit to that fact. We were once again being split up into groups. This time it was three groups of three units. The sergeant was taking A Unit, D Unit, and I Unit where they would be doing parachute jumping.

Then there was Eagle who usually just remained with his guns. But today he was taking C Unit, F Unit, and N Unit was going to teach them about hostage situations. I wondered what he knew about hostage situations. That was until I realized that I along with the rest of my unit, M Unit, and R Unit was going to be taught to drive by my father. And Dad knew I couldn't drive. This was not going to be fun. I wanted to ask if the others knew how to drive. But I couldn't just ask them if they could drive straight out like that.

"So driving the jeeps?" I asked, "Never done that before.:"

"Me neither," Dog agreed. "I usually take the cabs."

"My driver takes me," added Bat.

I rolled my eyes, of course Bat had a driver. I considered asking him whether he had someone to dress him too ,but thought better of it. Before Mum had died she had drilled manners into me. She had claimed that she didn't want me to end up like my father. Dad always protested saying that he could be polite. Mum retorted that could and was, were not the same thing. Mum and Dad always bickered like that. I had no idea how two such different people could end up together. Mum was the vet who saved lives whilst Dad was the dangerous spy who killed people.

"Well, at least I can drive," growled Polar Bear.

"I can't," I said. "I've failed my driving test three times."

"Ouch," Dog winced in sympathy, "No luck."

"Tell me about it," I murmured.

We headed up to the rough terrain driving range with obstacles like cones around. I could see that Dad was already standing there already looking as usual completely calm and emotionless. There were nine of the vehicles behind him. I was not looking forward to driving them. I was feeling more and more nervous as the time went on. I wondered if anyone else was. I could see Dog and Bat were. I looked around to see if anyone else was as nervous as Dog, Bat and I. A couple of M Unit looked nervous but none of R Unit.

"Pair up,' Dad ordered. "One who can drive and one, who cannot,' Dad told us. "And I know who can and cannot so don't try to trick me. I will not be pairing you up. You're supposedly tough enough to be in the SAS," here Dad sneered.

He looked as though he didn't think we were up to joining the ranks of the SAS. I have to tell you that hurt a lot coming from my father. I could remember so many times when I had felt like giving up only continuing going after encouragement from my father to keep persevering. I remembered when I was nineteen and I decided to do the marathon. It was before I had joined the army and even with a life time of fitness enforced from me from my father the training for the marathon had been hard.

One night after a particular hard training session with my group I decided to just give up. I decided I couldn't do it and I wasn't going to try. I dropped my training kit at the door and headed to kitchen that hadn't changed since I was a child. I slumped, tiredly into a table not even bothering working up the energy to get a drink a cup of coffee or tea or water or energy drink or whatever. I put my head into my hands. Unknown to me my Dad had followed me into the room. Dad could walk without making a sense which was a given as he was a spy who could be killed if he was discovered.

"_John," Dad said._

"_Mmmh," I had murmured into the table._

_Dad had laughed at this, "Hey what's my marathon runner doing making nonsensical noises like that."_

"_Not," I had murmured._

"_You are," Dad had retorted._

"_I can't do it," I murmured._

"_I don't believe in the word can't," Dad had said, "I believe in the word won't of course, but not the word can't."_

"_It's too hard," I had retorted._

"_Are you really going to let this beat you?" Dad had asked. "Or are you going to push through and show everyone you can do it. You're as stubborn as me and Carrie I know you won't give up. Anyway I know you can do it."_

And do it I did. I did fairly well for a first timer. I improved my times over the next few years. I didn't do it for the last two years having been off fighting at the time. I realized that Dad was a lot harsher at work rather at home and he wasn't getting personally at me. But it still hurt. I looked around to see a lot of disgruntled faces at this pronouncement of our ineptitude coming from Cub. I think I was the one hit the hardest by the comment. Polar Bear was scowling obviously about as happy as I was with the pronouncement.

"I'm not going to partner you up like a couple of girl guides," Dad growled. "Now to it," Dad ordered.

Bat, Dog and I looked at each other. We had a unit four with only one person who could drive. That wouldn't be too much of an issue on the field if Dog looked after us. But we weren't sure who would end up with Polar Bear. I guessed it wouldn't be with Bat as Polar Bear took offense to everything Bat did and Bat was terrified of Polar Bear. Polar Bear and I got on fairly well and Dog was the kind of guy that ever Polar Bear couldn't hold a grudge against for any length of time. The three of us all turned to Polar Bear.

"Tiger, come on," growled Polar Bear.

I shrugged at the other two not completely surprised that I had been chosen by Polar Bear. I just hoped that his opinion of me didn't plummet because I couldn't drive. I knew that Polar Bear didn't show anyone he considered below his expectations as worthy of his attention. And unfortunately for Bat he felt that Bat wasn't worth it. Or maybe it was jealously. I didn't know much about Bat's personal life but I guessed that it wasn't as full of wealth and riches as Bat's. But who was. I knew nobody at my private school with wealth like Bat.

"Polar Bear are you jealous of Bat's wealth?" I asked.

"No," growled Polar Bear.

"Because no one's got wealth like Bat," I said. "And I went to private school," I began.

"Well bully for you,' growled Polar Bear.

"I think it's because Dad feels it was safest," I said. "I guess that we're always targets."

"At least you know who your parents are," growled Polar Bear.

"You don't?" I asked.

"Orphanage from when I was six," growled Polar Bear. "Turned up in Edinburgh covered in scars."

"Your family?" I said.

"Must be," growled Polar Bear. "I just remember being locked in a room."

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely.

"You didn't torture me," Polar Bear growled in response.

"I know," I replied.

I sighed. Polar Bear must have been alone for a long time, I guessed. That was probably why he was so harsh and why he didn't let people in easily and was jealous of Bat. He had grown up with no one and nothing whilst Bat had grown up with everything. Then there was the fact that Bat rejected his family for some reason that he hadn't yet told us. I had a feeling that Bat had as much family troubles as Polar Bear had. Maybe I could get Dad to find out about Polar Bear; if Polar Bear wanted his past researched.

"Do you want Dad to try and find out who your family was?" I asked.

"Why?" growled Polar Bear.

"Friends help each other," I replied.

"Friends?" asked Polar Bear in surprise.

I shrugged, "Yeah."

"Ask him," growled Polar Bear.

"After this," I said.

"And Tiger, thanks," Polar Bear said.

"No problem," I smiled.

I had a feeling that this would strengthen our relationship. Out of all the people in the Unit Polar Bear was the person I wanted to continue working with if we got into the SAS. I liked Dog and Bat well enough but I had to say that it was Polar Bear who was the most interesting character in our unit. I was the only one who seemed to think that or maybe that was just because his character was quite similar to my father. He was only about five years younger than Dad anyway. It was funny to think I was training with someone close to Dad's age.

I glanced back to see where Dog and Bat were. Dog had ended up with Kingsnake or R Unit. I didn't know the tall, older blonde at all but apparently the two were deep in conversation about something. I didn't think they looked like they had anything in common. They certainly didn't look anything a like but then again the same could be said about Polar Bear and I. I turned my attention away from Dog looking for Bat. I hoped that Bat wasn't being pompous and making it difficult to find a partner.

Bat too was with a member of R Unit. Bat was with the leader Stag. Stag was looking calm and didn't look upset at Bat's attitude. That was good all things considering. Polar Bear and I were waiting for the last two to – Ox and Otter – to get together. Being the last two they had to end up together. Then we waited to be told what to do. Ox and Otter too stood. We then all quieted down and waited for Dad to give us our instructions. Dad looked around glad that we were all together. He looked and nodded obviously us non drivers had all managed to get into partners with a driver.

"I want you to man the course," Dad said. "I want everyone to be able to do the course by breakfast. Get to it," Dad ordered.

Polar Bear and I got into the closest jeep. Polar Bear was in the driving seat. I watched him nervously. I really hated being unable to drive. I hoped that Polar Bear wouldn't explain what he was doing. I knew the theory of driving just not the practice. I was awful at parking and turning and staying within the speed limit and checking the mirrors. I knew I would be able to do it if I was the only one on the road but unfortunately as I lived in London that was never possible. Polar Bear started out course.

Polar Bear completed the course without so much as a hitch. I did more or less the same even if I skidded when we parked and messed up the U-turn. I really hated U-turns but I hadn't managed to crash the jeep like Terrier. Dad had to pull both him and Mouse out luckily neither had been badly hurt – a few scrapes and bruises. Dad had lectured them icily for about half an hour afterward. Then he made Terrier do the course all over again with a saying of "practice makes perfect". I had no chance to talk to Dad about Polar Bear because we were dismissed quickly.

**What do you think of Polar Bear's back story? Was his latest revelation still in character? I have plans of where to go from there. Please review.**


	20. Cub's Help

20. Cub's Help

After our breakfast, which I was first finished, I went to find my Dad. I wanted Dad to help my friend with whatever traumas in his childhood still affected him. I was just walking up wondering if he was in the sergeant's cabin once again and where he slept when I saw a blonde figure at the shooting range. I knew my Dad's style well enough to realise who it was. I walked up to the shooting range to ask him about Polar Bear. Dad stopped just before I opened my mouth to alert him that I was there. He obviously already knew that, the bloody spy.

'Hey John,' Dad greeted turning to smile softly at me.

'Hey Dad,' I said.

'You did well in the driving,' Dad said. 'If you get your turns and parking right you'll pass in no time.'

'Thanks Dad,' I said. 'But I've more or less given up.'

Dad's eyes flashed at this, 'what have I told you about giving up.'

'If there's not a way make one,' I said.

'Precisely,' Dad smiled.

'When did you learn to drive?' I asked Dad.

'When I was fifteen,' Dad said.

'That was young,' I commented.

'Teenage spy,' Dad replied.

'What do you know about Polar Bear?' I asked.

'I've read his file,' Dad replied.

'Do you know who his parents are?' I asked.

'I thought he was from an unknown abusive household,' Dad said.

'He doesn't know,' I said.

'I don't know but I'd probably need some of his DNA to find out,' Dad said. 'But it might not happen if his family isn't on my records.'

'I'll ask,' I said.

'Well you better hurry combat training,' Dad said. 'There's a surprise today.'

I didn't know or like the sound of that but I left anyway. Dad stayed by guns I could only presume that he was taking or at least helping with the shooting lessons. I got to the Combat Hall and was surprised to see Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara there. I could have rolled my eyes at my damn father. His "surprise" of course was Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara being there. Aunt Tamara was getting more odd looks that Uncle Ben being that we had never seen a female here. I wondered what they were going to teach us.

'Come in units,' Uncle Ben's familiar voice sounded.

'These are two high ranking spies,' the sergeant's voice growled. 'Fox,' he nodded towards Uncle Ben, 'and this is Vixen.'

'You know Wolfie I really hate that name,' a faded American voice retorted teasingly.

I thought the name was apt considering she was married to Uncle Ben. It seemed the others had understood considering that Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara's chemistry was obvious. Wolf seemed to look between the two spies and leave. Uncle Ben and Aunt Tamara began to circle around each other on the balls of their feet. Were they really going to fight each other I wondered? I mean Aunt Tamara was a woman. Okay so was Jackie and she could beat up most boys. I thought it was probably because I had joined the army to save women like my mum that I thought this.

'Okay newbies,' called out Aunt Tamara. 'We're going to fight each other like we would enemies because on the field your enemy isn't going to care your gender, your age, whether you're tired or injured, they're going to kill you. And you should treat them the same because I am also going to show why you should never underestimate a girl.'

I could have laughed Aunt Tamara suddenly sounded so much like Jackie. I supposed she could have easily have gotten it from Aunt Tamara being the only woman in her life since she was seven was bound to have some affect on her even if it hadn't on Helen. Aunt Tamara's eyes were twinkling mischievously almost flirtatiously at her husband. Ben's dark eyes were cold and emotionless as though he couldn't – or more likely wouldn't – see his wife for who she was. I was holding my breath with the rest of my comrades.

'It's not right, he shouldn't be fighting a woman,' muttered Lion.

Uncle Ben seemed reluctant to start the fight. I guessed it was because however he acted this woman was his wife. This woman was the girl he had fallen for. This woman was the woman he had married. This was the woman who had born and birthed his son and only child. I didn't blame him in the slightest for being unable to fight her. Aunt Tamara, however, had no such qualms about hitting out at her husband. Well we had always known who had always worn the pants in _that _relationship. Not that Benjamin Daniels would ever admit that his wife had the power.

Aunt Tamara did a round house quick that ended up in Ben's groin. He groaned and fell to the floor. Aunt Tamara laughed at this. Well I always knew that she liked to torment men. How Uncle Ben had managed to survive being married to Tamara Daniels once Knight I did not know. She liked Ian, Alex and I but despair if we ever even hinted at saying anything slightly chauvinistic they would be all but murdered. I now supposed that Aunt Tamara had killed before. How my views on my family had changed.

'And that is why you do not underestimate women,' smirked Aunt Tamara.

Aunt Tamara helped Uncle Ben off the floor not showing a lot of sympathy for her husband's family jewels. If this was how she often treated her husband there was little wonder that they had only had one child. Plus Aunt Tamara was too much of a career woman to spend off on maternity leave for more than once. She was just a typical spy I supposed. I now realised that I had grown up surrounded by spies on all sides. Family secrets were mad weren't they? Aunt Tamara then turned to see us gaping at her.

'Now I want to see how you Brits fight,' laughed Aunt Tamara.

We didn't hesitate to start not particularly wanting to get on Aunt Tamara's bad side (and get our privates mutilated by the crazy spy). There was nothing worse to any man than that threat. I faced off with Bat which I won of course. After the combat lesson I went to catch up with Polar Bear to tell about what Dad had said beforehand about finding out about his family. I hoped that whoever had hurt my friend would face the hell that they so deserved. Polar Bear was in a hurry to get to lunch probably because he had been beaten by Dog somehow.

'Polar Bear,' I called.

'Tiger,' grunted Polar Bear.

I glanced around, 'I talked to dad,' I said.

'Good,' Polar Bear said shortly.

'He said he'd look into it,' I said. 'But he'd need a bit of your DNA.'

'Later,' growled Polar Bear.

And true enough that night after an afternoon of learning pressure points from another SAS man from Dad's units called Snake, Polar Bear and I had arrived back at our cabin first. He pulled out some of his greying, dirty blonde hair. He shoved it into my hands without as much as a word. Two seconds later Dog and Bat entered laughing. Polar Bear and I decided to pretend that it had never happened. I didn't want to lose the little friendship I had with Polar Bear and it was obvious that Polar Bear didn't trust those two.

The next day we had trained with the sergeant who had taken us parachute jumping. I was just glad that none of us had been injured in the fall. I knew that Bird of D Unit hadn't returned from being flown to the hospital since his fall yesterday. Then we had Snake again who taught us about edible plants and poisons from countries that we might find ourselves in. After lunch we had "fun" swimming again. However, it wasn't as bad considering it was the afternoon. Dad joined in and I saw the scars that Dad always concealed whilst at home.

No wonder he had never gone swimming with us. I thought he had been allergic to chlorine or something because he always enjoyed swimming in the sea. I now realised that was because you could wear a wetsuit in the sea whereas it would look odd in the swimming pool. There was a bullet wound just above his heart. I could see it was not just a shooting but a sniper attack. I was faced with the fact that people wanted my Dad dead that badly and it made me sick to the stomach. It reminded me of Mum's death.

No wonder he tried to protect us so much from what he did. He had been tortured at some point in time if the black burns, whip marks and various other assorted injuries were to go by. He had an old knife wound on his calf. There were burns in a pattern of exclamations marks all up his back and a few more new burns on his arms. I could see that he had another bullet wound on his right arm and a few bullet grazes. Nobody else seemed worried about this but it terrified me. How many times had I almost lost my second parent? Why did Dad to this? Was it for the same reason that I thought? With these thoughts in mind I stayed behind as everyone else went to get some dinner.

'Hey, Dad,' I greeted.

'Tiger,' Dad smiled at me.

'How did you get all those injuries?' I asked.

'Spying is a risky business,' Dad said.

'Have you been tortured?' I gulped.

'Oh too many times,' Dad said with a haunted look in his eyes.

I gulped, 'and shot?' I asked.

'So has Dog,' Dad said softly.

'Not in the heart,' I muttered.

'Two centimetres above,' Dad corrected.

'Isn't it time for you to come off the field?' I asked.

'This old man isn't done yet,' Dad retorted.

'I got you some of Polar Bear's hair,' I said.

'Good I'll get back to you in a few days time,' Dad said.

'Well, see you,' I said and walked back off to eat with my unit.

**I wanted another father/son moment and I wanted to expand on Polar Bear's past in this chapter. Ben and Tamara are in it too. What do you think of name Vixen for Tamara? I chose it because a Vixen is a female fox and she is married to Fox. I wasn't sure what kind of code names they would use in the CIA. I hope you liked it. There's only going to be one more chapter after this.**


	21. Polar Bear's Family

21. Polar Bear's Family

It was three days later when Dad delivered the results. We had been doing more running with Dad and the sergeant. Aunt Ben and Uncle Tamara had already left. They had been there and then they weren't. We had all wondered where they had gone. I wondered if they had gone home or if they were once again on a mission. I hoped that they'd be okay. They were getting on a bit in years. Not that I'd ever tell Aunt Tamara that (she'd probably castrate me). Dad had given me a look at the start of the run.

'Right Polar Bear, Tiger that was too slow drop and give me ten,' Dad ordered. 'Everyone else dismissed.'

Polar Bear and I groaned. It wasn't even as though we had been particularly slow. Boar had been much slower. I glared at my father for forcing us to do this unfairly. Dad didn't seem overly bothered. He did seem to be inspecting Polar Bear for some reason as though trying to see something more than what was there. Polar Bear and I did our press ups. Really I thought ten press ups wasn't that bad. The sergeant would usually give us fifty and that was if he was feeling faintly kind.

After we were done we stood up. Polar Bear stood to attention. I followed his lead although my stance was slightly mocking. I felt it was really odd having to stand to attention to my own father. It reminded me of when we were younger and would watch the Sound of Music. Well at least I could say that about my Dad; he didn't run his home like he ran his training sessions. He may encourage our training but he didn't force us to do it but with our DNA it was too hard wired into us not to. That brought me to thinking about Polar Bear.

How long did a DNA test take to make? Was it possible that Dad had the results? That would explain why he had kept us behind when we weren't that slow. I wondered if Dad had found anything. He was looking at Polar Bear again as though expecting to see something else there but for the life of me I could not work out what. Had they met before last year's training sessions? Did Dad know something of Polar Bear's parents? Had Dad worked with Polar Bear's parents? Had Dad worked against Polar Bear's parents?

'At ease,' Dad said.

We both relaxed slightly but we were wary about speaking out of turn in front of Dad. I glanced at Polar Bear who was scowling at nothing in particular. But that was Polar Bear's normal stance on things. I thought I saw a flicker of confusion in his glacial blue eyes but I might have imagined it. Dad did something that neither of us expected him to do. He smiled. I had a feeling that Polar Bear didn't even know that my father could smile. Oh yes he'd seen him smirk at the sergeant but never an honest smile.

'I got the results,' Dad said.

'The DNA test?' I asked.

'Precisely,' Dad said.

'Did you ever see another girl when you were hurt?' asked Dad.

'No, sir,' responded Polar Bear.

'I just wondered,' Dad murmured. 'Okay I'll tell you the story – what I know of it –but I don't know a lot.'

'Yes, sir,' Polar Bear said.

'It occurred before I was in MI6,' Dad said. 'When you and I were both children,' Dad explained to Polar Bear. 'You'd have been about two whilst I would be about ten.'

'Right,' I said confused.

'The then Deputy Head of MI6 who would later become the Head of MI6 was a woman called Tulip Marigold Jones.'

'How did you know her?' I asked.

'She was the deputy when I was first recruited,' Dad said. 'I certainly preferred her to our boss.'

'The one who forced you to work for him?' I asked.

'Forced?' asked Polar Bear sounding shocked.

'Strange as it may seem to you I was originally blackmailed,' Dad explained.

Polar Bear looked shocked, 'didn't you want to fight for your country?'

'At the age of fourteen most kids are worrying about exams, girls and what's on at the cinema,' Dad said. 'Not bombs, terrorists and torture.'

'I wasn't,' growled Polar Bear.

Dad gave him a sympathetic look, 'you were different because of what happened between the ages of two and six.'

Polar Bear flinched slightly, 'do you know who did it?' he asked.

'Personally, no,' he said. 'But it was a terrorist organisation of some sort.'

'How do you know?' I asked.

'Well as I was saying this woman Mrs Jones I was talking about,' Dad said. 'She was married with a husband – one Alan Jones – had two kids a daughter, Hettie, and a son who was eight years older, Richard.'

'Right,' I said still confused.

'I don't know how much the husband knew about Mrs Jones' job,' Dad admitted.

'Like us,' I said.

Dad nodded, 'except your mother knew what I did. Heck I met her on a job.'

'And she still married you despite the danger?' I asked.

'I know,' Dad shook his head. 'I was the one who kept saying it was a really bad idea that she could get killed and trying to scare her away. But she was one stubborn woman,' Dad smiled.

'Tiger,' growled Polar Bear. 'As much as I love reminiscing what does this have to do with me?'

Dad sighed, 'I don't know the full details but from what I've managed to work out whilst Mrs Jones and Alan Jones who was a Chemistry teacher I believe.'

'Where were the kids?' I asked.

'Richard was with an elderly aunt of Alan Jones' I believe,' Dad shrugged. 'And Hettie was at school. Anyways the elderly aunt had fallen asleep whilst Richard was sleeping too. She woke up and Richard was no longer there. The school had already phoned the Jones' to alert them that Hattie too had gone missing from the playground at around the same time. It's the reason I was worried about having kids and bringing you into my dangerous world.'

'Why did you?' I asked. 'Not that I'm complaining or anything.'

'Your mother reminded me that I had been born into a spy family,' chuckled Dad. 'True I reminded her that I had been blackmailed into MI6 at fourteen. It was many years of arguing before she convinced me to have kids.'

'What does this have to do with me, sir?' asked Polar Bear.

'Right, yes, Polar Bear,' Dad smiled. 'The police and the secret services all looked for the Jones children but they were never found. Until now they were presumed to be dead.'

'What does this have to do with Polar Bear dad?' I asked.

'Well as I said we thought they were dead until we checked your DNA against our records and found that yours matched Mrs Jones',' Dad said.

Polar Bear's eyes widened, 'so I'm the boy.'

'Well your DNA, your past and your age all match,' Dad said. 'You don't look much like your mother I have to say,' Dad admitted. 'Maybe something in the jaw structure,' Dad mused.

'Are they alive?' Polar Bear asked. 'My parents?'

'Your father killed himself a few years after,' Dad sighed.

Polar Bear flinched, 'why?' pain was in his face.

'Your mother and he had divorced after loosing you and your sister. It often happens when something of this nature happens to the children; the mother blames the father and the father blames the mother,' Dad said. 'Add in that your mother had thrown herself into her work in a desperate attempt to find you two. Your father couldn't deal with it anymore I would expect.'

'Is my mother still alive?' Polar Bear asked eyes still glittering at the news of his father.

'Your mother has been planning on retiring in four years,' Dad said.

'And you'll take over right?' I asked.

'Tiger,' growled Dad.

'Oh sorry,' I said realising I wasn't supposed to give away that.

'Will I meet her?' Polar Bear asked. He seemed to be having a hard time adjusting.

'Your mother's very keen on meeting you,' Dad said. 'And we are now looking for a girl who in the same year you were found was fourteen with the same injuries as you have.'

'My sister, sir?' asked Polar Bear.

'Exactly,' Dad smiled.

/

A few days later we were relaxing after a day's training. Dad had left a few days earlier. He had said goodbye to me. I wondered if we would ever meet up again on the field. That would certainly be an experience, being your own father's back up. Polar Bear was once again scowling up at the tent. He had been even quieter since Dad had told him about his parents. Not that I blamed him, it must be quite a shock to have all that dumped on your plate. It seemed that I was not the only one affected by having a parent in MI6.

Bat was reading a manual on motorbikes again. How many times could you read the same manual without getting bored? Dog was reading a Sherlock Holmes novel – The Hound of the Baskervilles. I was spinning an old yoyo in my hands. That was when the sergeant came in looking exceptionally unhappy about something if his scowl deeper than normal and dark glare was anything to go by. The four of us dropped our things and stood to attention quicker than usual not wanting to annoy the sergeant when he was in this kind of mood.

'Polar Bear, Tiger,' bit out the sergeant in clipped tones. 'To my office. Now,' ordered the sergeant.

'Yes, sergeant,' the two of us replied.

Polar Bear and I shared a look. Polar Bear was still scowling but compared to the sergeant it looked like a rabbit trying to scare you. I wondered what we were supposed to have done. Were we being binned? Was I finally getting a lecture for the counter terrorism lesson? No because if I was then the sergeant would do it in front of the others to humiliate us. Then what was going on? Polar Bear and I followed into the sergeant's office. The sergeant looked unhappy at what was going on so this clearly wasn't his idea.

There was an old woman in her sixties maybe with silver, badly cut hair and black eyes which were the same shape as Polar Bear. The woman's face had the same shape as Polar Bear. I looked between them. The woman looked delighted to see Polar Bear. I saw a younger woman who was around my dad's age with dirty blonde hair like Polar Bear and black eyes like the woman. Again she had the same shaped face. I worked it out. This must be the Mrs Jones that Dad had spoke of and the younger woman must be Polar Bear's sister – Hettie.

'Sergeant you are dismissed,' Mrs Jones said.

'Yes ma'am,' nodded the sergeant not looking happy about being kicked out of his own office but obviously having to obey the Head of MI6. Mrs Jones then looked at me, 'I have to thank you Tiger for finally finding my son and allowing us to find my daughter.'

'No problem, Ma'am,' I replied.

'Dismissed,' Mrs Jones said to me.

I was kind of disappointed as I had been eager to hear what the mother, son and daughter might say. Polar Bear came back looking much happier. Over the next few weeks Polar Bear and I became very close. Then selection came Polar Bear was one of the five team leaders who made it through. I was relieved, I just hoped that I too got in. Dog too made the final selection. Bat, however, did not. I looked at Polar Bear who seemed to be trying not to look too pleased. I rolled my eyes, honestly, would those two ever change?

Then there came the sharpshooters. I felt very nervous. I hadn't felt like this since high school. Then I got in as well. I joined Dog and Polar Bear. Raven replaced Bat, even though he was young Polar Bear seemed tolerate him far better than he had done Bat. The four of us went on many missions together. I had heard from Dad that Bat had ended up working in a department of MI6 although not field work. Dad took over from Polar Bear's mother and life went on with spies and soldiers and assassins and terrorists filling our lives.

_The End_

**What did you think of Polar Bear's back story? Did you think it was realistic? Please review. **


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